MSA, ASUM support Access Missouri changes

New bills would increase funds for public higher education institutions.

By Amanda Wysocki

Published March 12, 2009

Representatives of the Associated Students of the University of Missouri and Missouri Students Association traveled to Jefferson City to lobby for the Access Missouri program Tuesday.

ASUM and MSA have teamed up to lobby for one Senate and one House bill that would equalize funds available to Missouri students attending either public or private four-year higher education institutions.

Access Missouri provides up to $2,150 for students attending a public four-year institution and up to $4,600 for students in private schools. If passed, the two bills would set the amount available to all students at $2,850 to either public or private institutions.

Missouri ranks 47th in the nation in terms of funding public higher education and fourth for funding private institutions, MSA Senate Speaker Amanda Shelton said.

"This is simply unacceptable," Shelton said.

ASUM helped coordinate a news conference in the House Lounge on Tuesday afternoon.

ASUM Legislative Director Ally Walker spoke along with Sen. Kurt Schafer, R-Columbia, Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, Rep. Gayle Kingery, R-Poplar Bluff and Rep. Chris Molendorp, R-Raymore.

"Currently, 29 percent of students are receiving 52 percent of the Access Missouri funding," Walker said. "It is important to have a discussion on Access Missouri."

Walker said because students attending public schools often graduate with greater debt than private school students, this bill needs to be opened for debate.

"It is time to take a realistic look at the landscape of the state," Walker said. "Private schools can give different opportunities in funding that state schools cannot."

Although the Senate bill has been assigned to the education committee, the House bill is yet to be delegated.

"I ask the Speaker of the House to assign my bill to committee so we can open a dialogue," Kingery said. "We need time to work on the bill and craft it."

Kingery said he would like to see Missouri's excellent public and private schools succeed.

Molendorp also voiced his support of the bill.

"I will push this issue until the program is equalized," Molendorp said.

Schafer spoke about the state Senate's duties to support higher education.

"We have a constitutional obligation to maintain public higher education," Schafer said. "State universities are at a disadvantage."

At Wednesday's MSA Senate meeting, a resolution passed stating MSA fully supports the two bills to ensure equal access.

Shelton encouraged all MSA senators to write a letter of thanks to Schafer for his support. She also urged senators to write letters to the Speaker of the House asking to assign the bill to a committee.

"Until the bill gets assigned to a committee, no one will actually talk about or vote on it," Shelton said.

Shelton also asked anybody receiving the grant to either go down to Jefferson City and lobby in support of it or write a state legislator asking him or her to vote in favor of it.

Private school students opposed to the change in funding have set up a Web site, keepmeincollege.org, to publicize their complaints with the two bills as it would directly decrease their funding.