Written by Gabriella Plasencia<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the next five years after July 1, 2024, ACC will be covering the cost of tuition for all incoming high school graduates. The project is a part of ACC Chancellor Lowery-Hart’s goal to reach a 70% completion rate, which came as a result of House Bill 8 changing the school\u2019s funding model to be \u201coutcomes-based\u201d in the latest legislative session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though seemingly a step in a good direction, some students expressed that the project neglects ACC\u2019s high number of adult learners. Members of the Student Government Association are asking for student participation in an ACC board meeting on May 6, which will determine whether an amendment should be added to benefit all ACC students in their last semester.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The initial proposal, referred to as the \u201cFirst Dollar\u201d pilot program, was first proposed by Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart on January 8, and aims to alleviate the cost of education to incoming college students. Beyond just support, the program has also sparked constructive criticism from some students who say they are already struggling to stay in school or do not fit this traditional profile of a college student. ACC bestowing financial aid to fresh out of high school teenagers or anyone with a completed GED, called into question the equitable nature of the program when it comes to ageism and prioritizing one demographic over another in the student body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On April 1, Rio Grande Campus Senator Carey Cranor advocated for the nontraditional students at another board meeting discussing prospects of the free tuition project. Because of the board\u2019s heavy emphasis on helping recent high school graduates, Cranor took to the stand to represent the experience of adult learners coming back to school multiple years after a high school diploma. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Furthermore, he shared the obstacles that come with being an adult who wants to uplift themselves in the field of education and its opportunities. \u201cI\u2019m in full support of it, however the messages they touted were \u2018culture of belonging\u2019 and \u2018equality\u2019 and as it stands, the free tuition program does not support either of those visions,\u201d Cranor said, \u201cIt does not support equality and borders on age discrimination. It does not support a culture of belonging because it tells adult learners that they will always come second.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While being in full support of ACC\u2019s attempts to alleviate the financial toll of college for its students, Cranor argued for a way to include everyone, suggesting an amendment that would cover the tuition of anyone in the last semester of their two year associates or four year bachelor’s degree plan at ACC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In regards to amending the current project, Chancellor Lowery-Hart emphasized that the school\u2019s goal is likely to \u201cextend this to everyone\u201d but asked that more data be presented to address Cranor\u2019s suggestion in the May 6 board meeting. The initial program, which is written to be officially reevaluated in five years instead of the intended 10, is currently operating with a 7.6 million dollar budget \u2013 based on the estimated cost of the plan if it had been active last year. Continued funding for the program and its possible amendment will rely on positive results in these next five years, with increased graduation rates and student successes dictating whether or not it will become a permanent avenue for free tuition in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo if we start on the backend, the last semester, we\u2019re rigging the numbers in our favor to continue this program,\u201d Cranor said. As it stands now, higher education is generally more accommodating to a student with a blank slate coming from one educational institution to another as opposed to an adult who\u2019s been working full time and living independently. \u201cI hate to say this, but for a lot of our adult learners, it’s an even larger gamble for them to be in college than someone who is fresh out of high school because they\u2019re coming from one school to another. Meanwhile for adult learners, they are one bad day, one bad grade from quitting and being done with it,\u201d Cranor said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n