Roundtable discussion addresses college cost
Leaders gather to discuss state funding, the TRIO program and student loans
College is expensive.
Oftetn students have to work or take out loans in order to pay for college. Some students get funding from the government, although these funds have diminished over the years.
To address the issues, NDSU hosted a roundtable discussion on the cost of higher education Thursday.
Congressman Earl Pomeroy, NDSU President Joseph Chapman, John Paulson, president of the North Dakota Board of Higher Education and Prakash Mathew, vice president of Student Affairs, attended the discussion to offer their points of view.
Leaders talked about government funding for students who are unable to pay for college, the TRIO program, non-subsidized loans and students working more to pay for college.
“ Students are facing higher costs than ever and yet support levels, loan or grant, are not in any way keeping up,” Pomeroy said. “One consequence is students are working more than ever before. This affects classroom performance.”
Working and going to school is a norm for most students at NDSU and other colleges around the country, Pomeroy said.
“By the time they have the work done and the studies done, they didn’t get the grades they needed and had to go to another year in school. It is like running in place,” Pomeroy said.
Now is the time where the education of the population determines success, Pomeroy said.
Another part of the roundtable discussion was the TRIO tutoring program.
According to the NDSU Web site, the primary purpose of the TRIO Program is to prepare students for college.
In general, these programs identify low-income and first-generation college students who want to go to college.
TRIO services are designed to improve academic performance, increase student motivation.
Allyn Kostecki, director of TRIO Programs, said the program has tied education into the war on poverty and economic opportunity.
“ From 2000 data in the Postsecondary Economic Opportunity Journal, the report said that if your parent didn’t graduate high school, you only have a 30 percent chance of going to college, which is only starting college and not necessarily finishing college,” Kostecki said.
He also said a student has an 84 percent chance to go to college if the parents have a bachelor’s degree. This is also not ensuring graduation of college.
The TRIO program’s funding has been cut by $340 million, Kostecki said.
“ They are literally taking down a critical part of this program,” Pomeroy said. “Success for over four decades will be ended.”
Kostecki said the funding has not increased in decades, and now the government is cutting the funding.
Some students who are not able to participate in the TRIO program have to take out loans to pay for college.
Jeanne Enebo, director of Student Financial Services, said there is an increase in alternative type loans with higher interest rates.
“ As we did our annual report last year we realized that the alternative loans in one year have increased 24 percent,” Enebo said. “And that is a huge number for those loans.”
Pomeroy said that between the academic years of 1995-96 and 2005-06 there has been a 900 percent increase in borrowing from non-federal sources.
“ Students have to go after ‘expensive money’ for their education,” he said.
Pomeroy said college years are the finest years, and he is hoping to increase Pell Grants, elevate work study and cut student loans.