Higher Ed Commissioner Wants Scholarship Progam for 8th Graders

None by KCPW

Program Cost: $10 Million a Year

(KCPW News) Richard Kendell will retire as Utah Commissioner of Higher Education in December. But a promise he'd like to make to Utah 8th graders may keep him in the game a little longer:

"If you will take four years of math, four years of English, three years of science and three years of social studies, and get a 3.0 GPA, you will have automatic admission to any college or university in the state, and the money can be cashed for your first deposit on tuition when you enter.

Dubbed the Regents' scholarship, it's a promise Kendell would like to make soon. He sees it as way to drive home to students the value of higher education and the commitment of the state to helping them get there. First he needs legislative support, which he will seek in January. But that's after he retires:

"We're going to go for it this next legislative session," he says, "it might be a big enough of an issue to hang around and work at it, at least that piece of it. I'm retiring, but I feel very strongly about this kind of an issue."

Kendell says the Regents' scholarship program will cost about $10 million a year, money he hopes to raise from the legislature and private sources. Approximately 25 to 30 percent of eligible students are projected to take advantage of such a program.

For a longer conversation with Kendell on the state of enrollment at Utah's 10 institutions of higher learning, download a podcast of Midday Metro.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2009 KCPW