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The two major Democratic candidates for governor are running television ads promising free community college tuition and a plan "to make North Carolina's universities affordable." Since most political ads are more propaganda than truth -- I decided to delve deeper into the two candidates' plans.
Before I get into specifics; an overall observation. Because of the mounting interest in the Democratic Presidential Primary, both candidates are keenly aware that this election will draw a tremendous amount of young voters to the polls. To that end, both Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue and State Treasurer Richard Moore are aggressively courting this voting cohort with less than perfect college affordability proposals.
According to Perdue, she "is the only candidate with a proposal to make university tuition affordable." Her plan, also known as the "College Promise Initiative," is really an over complicated, bureaucratic approach to increasing financial aid. On her campaign Web site (www.bevperdue.com) Perdue proposes expanding Gov. Mike Easley's EARN Scholarship Program. EARN (Education Access Rewards North Carolina) combines state and federal grants to provide eligible students up to $4,000 a year. The program claims that students will graduate "debt-free." Unfortunately, that is a lie. That $4,000 a year represents only about 17 percent of students annual costs in attending a University of North Carolina system campus. Perdue's plan makes no mention on how to fund the expansion of the EARN program which already carries an annual price tag of $100 million.
Perdue's television ads claim that she is the only candidate who will make community college tuition free. How does she plan on doing it - through a powerful message? "Bev also believes that the state should send out the powerful message that all students who graduate from high school and enter a community college full-time will be able to have their tuition waived."
So, to sum up Perdue's higher education plan: send a powerful message to high school students and their families by renaming an existing government financial assistance program to the College Promise Initiative. Good job Bev -- progressive thinking at its finest. I can promise you this -- it is a load of malarkey.
Moore's television ads also assert that he is the only candidate that will make community college tuition free. Like Perdue, Moore has provided us with another empty promise. But at least Moore provides specifics and hope for university students with a proposed prepaid tuition program. According to Moore, "These plans offer the ability to lock in low-cost tuition early, ensuring that future rises of tuition will not be an obstacle for students entering college 18 years from now."
An excellent idea and one that many other states have already embraced. Prepaid tuition plans protect students and their families from dramatic and unpredictable increases in tuition and fees. A prepaid tuition program is a good start; however, it does not address the current barriers keeping young people from attaining an affordable higher education.
I'm tickled to see that college affordability and the rising costs of tuition are at the forefront of this year's gubernatorial campaign. Instead of pandering to the electorate through empty promises, poorly drafted plans and new government programs, both candidates should simply embrace the state's constitution. It has the perfect plan with regard to university access and affordability: FREE.
Send Andrew you thoughts at viewpoint@technicianonline.com
