TO THE EDITOR:
On May 19, about 800 North Carolinian university student winners of a Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship received an e-mail informing them of no funds this year. “The program is also scheduled to be totally eliminated in 2012.” Not once in its prior 25 years of existence has funding been denied to the program.
The scholarship was $1,500 renewable for each year of a student’s undergraduate career, awarded based on SAT/ACT scores and performance in high school. $1,500 a year may seem an insignificant portion of the astronomical costs of a university education, but the help of $1,500 less in loans or out-of-pocket payment cannot be denied. At the least, it confirmed that hard work in school is noteworthy. If we believe education is a tool for better workers and citizens, why do legislative actions indicate otherwise?
The Byrd scholarship cut was a part of the April 12th federal budget signing, meant to help balance the nation’s deficit. But when military spending increased $5 billion in the same signing, really how much scrimping was the $42 million that would have gone to the Byrd scholarship? How can we deny that investing in students is the best way to invest in the future?
Let’s reevaluate where we want to make our savings and whether eliminating education funding — especially to merit scholarships — sends the right message about our nation’s priorities. Speak up, because we need to be heard.
Jackclyn Ngo
Junior
Environmental Sciences and Mathematics major
