(Cross posted at
For Our Future.)
Gov. Phil Bredesen, a democrat from Tennessee, is championing a set of proposals designed to improve higher education. Gov. Bredesen is proposing to invest an additional $50 million dollars to improve graduation rates, make available more individual attention to students and provide free tuition at community colleges for pupils who score a 19 or higher on the ACT entrance exam.
Gov. Bredesen appears to be motivated by the right reasons. A Tennessee newspaper editorial accurately pointed out that "people who fail to get their diploma or a GED are doomed to low-paying jobs, if they can find them at all. And they are more likely to turn to crime or be another kind of drain on the public coffers." Making academia more accessible for working class and returning students is always commendable.
However, I think there are some problems with Bredesen's approach. Merit scholarships are problematic because they tend to favor wealthier students. The Tennessee proposal for free tuition is based on the ACT, a standardized test similar to the SAT. Just as with SAT, rich students
can afford expensive test preparation materials. A merit based scholarship student does not really provide opportunities for students from traditionally marginalized backgrounds.
At any rate, it is refreshing to see a Democratic politician take an aggressive approach to higher education policy. Young people are a very progressive voting block and they need to be mobilized if Democrats are going win elections. In many races, the youth vote can provide the margin of victory for a candidate.