Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s (D. MT) re-election bid:
First generation college students in Montana could lose college prep funding because of a ridiculous formatting requirement.
I wish I were kidding.
Secretary Betsy DeVos’s Department of Education declared the University of Montana’s grant application for the program Upward Bound ineligible for consideration...because it was not double-spaced. Unless the decision is reversed, Upward Bound will be canceled.
This is why people are fed up with Washington.
I’m a former teacher and school board member. I can be a stickler for the rules. I get it. But we can’t stand for this type of government bureaucracy.
I sent a letter to Secretary DeVos urging her to overturn the decision. Add your name and tell her to reverse this decision.
Upward Bound has been around for 50 years and has proven effective. It has a nearly 100% graduation rate, with 75% percent of students going on to enroll in two or four year colleges.
Upward Bound has been incredibly successful in pulling folks out of poverty and empowering them to live successful lives with higher incomes.
Shuttering Upward Bound would be a serious disservice to the students and families who rely on it. Why would Washington pull the rug out on these kids over double-spacing?
This is exactly the kind of maddening bureaucracy people constantly gripe about. Except we’re not talking about a long line at the DMV or a less than clear IRS form. We’re talking about making it more difficult for students to get a degree and then a good job.
A formatting hiccup shouldn’t deprive Montana’s most vulnerable students of the benefits of college preparation. Join me - let’s demand DeVos overturn this decision.
Thank you for reading, and for taking action.
Jon
Click here to add your name.