Footing the Bill
Michigan needs bright minds.
But more than that, it needs bright minds that are willing to stay in Michigan to create businesses and conduct research.
The "G.A. Bill," for which CMU students plan to lobby in Lansing, presents a handful of good ideas for attaining this objective.
The program would pay for up to half of students' tuitions toward a bachelor's degree and a graduate degree within Michigan.
Students would be required to maintain a 3.2 grade point average, participate in one registered student organization per year and earn both degrees within eight years. The proportion of funding reimbursed would fluctuate with the number of years taken to earn the degrees.
Most promising is a further stipulation: Alumni would be required to agree to live in and work in Michigan beyond their graduation.
The strength of the program is that it provides advanced training focused on finding the brightest students in Michigan and encouraging them to make the most of their educational potential.
Not only that, but the bill provides incentive for these students to put their skills to use in Michigan. The bill, then, opens educational opportunities in a way that will benefit the state's economy.
Currently proposed is a stipulation that graduates remain within Michigan for three years. The G.A. Bill should continue to insist on this requirement. And all, rather than some, funding should hinge on whether students meet that requirement.
Michigan should support education for its citizens, but now the state needs to focus on educational tracks that will most benefit its economy. Preventing a brain drain should remain the focus of the legislation. If anything, the post-graduation requirement should become more stringent.
The G.A. Bill would shift dollars from undergraduate to graduate education. On its face, this may undercut some of the opportunities available to undergraduates. This is a legitimate concern.
We would like to see more details on how much the G.A. Bill would cost in terms of reductions to undergraduate student funding.
It is essential that Michigan makes undergraduate education accessible to all - even if this means graduate education remains available to fewer people.
Similarly, it may be worth honing the G.A. Bill's funding toward graduate degrees especially in need within Michigan, such as medical diplomas.
Promoting graduate education, with the proviso that graduates put their skills to use in Michigan, is valuable only when those skills are needed in Michigan. The current approach may be suboptimal because it's too broad. An alternative may aid Michigan better.
That said, the bill is a step in the right direction. Michigan legislators should take it seriously, and healthy debate should refine its size and scope.
