Merle Widmer is blogging again after a long hiatus. He sounds a bit skeptical regarding the Peoria Promise scholarship program proposed by Mayor Jim Ardis. I agree with him that the lack of some minimum GPA to qualify for the scholarship is a bit concerning. Does a kid who just barely passes high school deserve a college scholarship? I suppose it depends on the circumstances and whether that student showed improvement over the course of his high school career.
From what I’ve heard so far, it seems as if a student that barely passed could theoretically be chosen over other students more academically qualified or with greater economic need. We’ll have to see how the program develops and what sort of oversight is put in place. The devil’s in the details.
1 response so far ↓
1
Jill
// Mar 21, 2007 at 1:06 pm
I have been researching the Peoria Promise and I think that it is great for the community. Yes maybe the kids with the lower GPA will be getting the scholarships but maybe their GPA is low because they have the mindset of why try, I can’t afford to go to school, as long as I pass I still have my degree. I recently graduated high school and I know that the mindset of why does it matter if I try, I have already been accepted came into play. Yet some of these students have been that way their entire life. And if the other kids are so smart then they will also get scholarships from other routes. I am on academic scholarships at ICC and I still think that this is great. Yes I’ve worked hard for my grades to get where I’m going but the only reason I tried for those grades was to insure I would have a way to get to college. And if one looks at the chart most students don’t attend school k-12. So yes there needs to be some stipulations but for the most part its a great way to give kids the oppertunity of college that they have never had before.
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