Push yourself to complete high school ahead of schedule and be rewarded with cash for college. That's the intriguing idea behind a legislative proposal designed to make higher education more affordable while also saving public money spent on high school seniors. Both are worthwhile goals.
Under the Early Graduation Achievement Act, students who graduate one to three semesters early would receive grants ranging from $2,500 to $7,500 to attend a Minnesota school. The state spends about $9,500 annually on high school students, so Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, and other authors of the plan say the state could save at least $2,500 per pupil, or about $25 million a year based on about 5,500 participants. Those funds could be used to help balance the state budget or to cover other K-12 costs.
Garofalo described the idea as a "turbo-charged" version of an existing state program known as the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option. PSEO allows students to takes college-level courses while still in high school, thus reducing the cost of earning a college degree.
Previous studies indicate that many of the 7,200-plus Minnesota kids who use PSEO are high achievers who were already headed for four-year colleges. A direct scholarship could appeal to a larger group of students -- including those considering technical, vocational and community colleges. And the early graduation program could attract kids who coast through senior year and are more than ready to move on.
Though the concept has potential, questions remain. One DFL lawmaker said the scholarship plan merely duplicates PSEO and is not as cost effective. However, the Yankee Institute, a Connecticut think tank that promotes lower taxes and efficient government, reported that if 25 percent of that state's students received a $5,000 college scholarship to finish high school early, more than $58 million could be saved.
Minnesota lawmakers should also explore the impact on school district budgets. In 2007, Arizona adopted an early graduation program that provides $1,000 grants for the first year and $500 for the second year of post-secondary school. But to pass the measure, the original plan was amended to allow a portion of per-pupil aid to remain with the home district.
Another concern raised by some local school officials: In districts with high poverty and low graduation rates, educators are focused on giving students more time to finish high school, not less. That point underscores yet another problem for many districts. There is ample evidence that too many students who stay in high school the full four years still are not adequately prepared for college. Minnesota's state college system reports that about one-third of all community college students need remedial courses in subjects they should have mastered in high school. That means more must be done assure that high school curriculums are better aligned with college requirements -- whether students graduate in 10th, 11th or 12th grade.
Those are among the issues and questions that Minnesota lawmakers should study as the measure moves though committee.
