Basic Aid mentality creating student un-friendly atmosphere
David Wilhite ET Contributor
Issue date: 11/28/02 Section: Op/Ed
Because of new funding methods students may find it harder to enroll here and may need to be ready for the possibility of a harsher, less responsive administration at the College of Marin. That appears to be the trend as the college shifts away from State Additional Supplement (SAS) funding to a new accounting method titled Basic Aid.
There are two ways basic aid will affect us. First you must now have cash in hand to enroll. The other restriction is that our faculty no longer has incentive to allow an excess number of students into class. It boils down to dollars, your dollars.
Under SAS, underprivileged students, eligible for federal student aid, could sign up for classes without having to pay. The college was happy with that arrangement, knowing the bulk of tuition was being paid by the state and that as soon as the federal student aid forms were processed the government would pay the balance. Pamela Mize, our dean of admissions, however, is opposed to this system of recouping funds. Now that basic aid is in effect she no longer sees the need to "loan" money to enrolling students. With a general trend of decreasing student enrolment over the last five years, it's confusing why any roadblocks would be set up to allow students to get a quality education.
What ever happened to kinder, gentler?
What is basic aid? According to Michael Bebe, the college's chief financial officer, basic aid is a program that reflects the increasing tax base of our county combined with decreasing student enrolment. The accounting change will result in a 7 percent increase in funding to the school in the current fiscal year.
Back before most of us remember, Proposition 13 was passed. Its immediate effect was that people in the state paid reduced property tax on homes. This left the community college districts throughout the state in a bind because the lions share of money came directly from local property tax collections. Not wanting schools to fail, the state set up SAS, which is based on a formula counting full-time equivalent students: more students meant more money for our college. Because the state was, in essence, keeping the college districts alive, it naturally set standards by which the colleges would have to abide. We no longer have those restrictions.
There are two ways basic aid will affect us. First you must now have cash in hand to enroll. The other restriction is that our faculty no longer has incentive to allow an excess number of students into class. It boils down to dollars, your dollars.
Under SAS, underprivileged students, eligible for federal student aid, could sign up for classes without having to pay. The college was happy with that arrangement, knowing the bulk of tuition was being paid by the state and that as soon as the federal student aid forms were processed the government would pay the balance. Pamela Mize, our dean of admissions, however, is opposed to this system of recouping funds. Now that basic aid is in effect she no longer sees the need to "loan" money to enrolling students. With a general trend of decreasing student enrolment over the last five years, it's confusing why any roadblocks would be set up to allow students to get a quality education.
What ever happened to kinder, gentler?
What is basic aid? According to Michael Bebe, the college's chief financial officer, basic aid is a program that reflects the increasing tax base of our county combined with decreasing student enrolment. The accounting change will result in a 7 percent increase in funding to the school in the current fiscal year.
Back before most of us remember, Proposition 13 was passed. Its immediate effect was that people in the state paid reduced property tax on homes. This left the community college districts throughout the state in a bind because the lions share of money came directly from local property tax collections. Not wanting schools to fail, the state set up SAS, which is based on a formula counting full-time equivalent students: more students meant more money for our college. Because the state was, in essence, keeping the college districts alive, it naturally set standards by which the colleges would have to abide. We no longer have those restrictions.