MSA and ASUM discuss Access Missouri program

The legislation would increase the funding for public school students.

By Amanda Wysocki

Published March 2, 2009

Correction appended

Representatives from the Missouri Students Association and the Associated Students of the University of Missouri met Monday night to discuss the proposed changes to the Access Missouri grant program.

The program awards a maximum of $2,150 to students attending a public four-year college or university in the state and up to $4,600 for those attending private institutions.

But proposed bills in both the Missouri House of Representatives and Senate would equalize the amount given to both public and private students to a maximum of $2,850.

A press conference about the bills is scheduled for next Tuesday and they will be heard in Senate committee next Wednesday.

ASUM is the large force behind Tuesday's press conference.

"We really want this to look like a student-led event because we feel it might be more effective," ASUM state legislative intern Justin Yeater said.

Yeater deals specifically with the Access Missouri program for this legislative session and said he fully supports the increase in funds for public students.

"The state has a responsibility to its public institutions and the way the amount is set now is a blatant disregard of that responsibility," Yeater said. "For the state to offer more than double the amount to private students as they do to public students is completely unfair and a misuse of tax dollars."

ASUM encouraged anyone in MSA who receives the Access Missouri grant to come to the press conference next week and to write to his or her home legislators to lobby in support of the bill.

MSA Senate Speaker-elect Amanda Shelton said she would do all she can to support the bill, as she receives the grant.

MSA Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays said this is an important issue for students who would not be able to attend college without financial aid.

"This could make the difference between a person going to college versus not being able to go to college," Mays said.

Several state legislators have discussed proposing a grandfather clause to allow students already attending private institutions to keep the level of funding already available to them.

Mays said he supports this amendment.

"The current bill is good for public school students, but I think we should also amend it to protect students who have already enrolled in private schools," Mays said.

MSA Senators Josh Travis and Phyllis Williams voiced their opposition to this clause.

"Public funds should go to public institutions," Williams said. "As a need-based student, I empathize with them, but there is always going to be a group of students coming in one year late."

Williams said she would not be so opposed to the clause if the compromise were necessary in order to get the public funding increased.

"Private schools are fighting for something that naturally shouldn't be given to them," Williams said. "I don't want to set a precedent that we don't make public funding a priority."

MSA President Jordan Paul has been talking with representatives from the student governments at other Missouri universities, and that some of the public schools have joined the effort.

"We're facing a pretty good propaganda machine from the private institutions, though," he said.

The private colleges and universities around the state have set up keepmeincollege.org to voice their concerns, Mays said.