Democrats Unveil Scholarship Plan

Today, Democrats in the state Senate lined up a handful of scholarship programs they’d like to fund with money left over from the first four years of the state lottery.

It marks a fundamentally different approach from the GOP’s plan for the money. That proposal, put forward by Shelbyville Senator Jim Tracy would help counties pay for capital improvements to schools.

In contrast, Memphis Democrat Jim Kyle points to a program in which medical professionals would repay their scholarship by practicing in one of the state’s medically under-served counties.

JW-DOCTORS q:”… next year you won’t know the difference. :19

In some of our smaller counties like Hancock County, under the proposal of Senator Tracy, that county would get, like, a hundred and sixty thousand dollars, one time. What’s more valuable, having a doctor, living and working in that county, every day for the… forever? Or having a hundred and sixty thousand dollars that’ll be gone, next year you won’t know the difference.

Republicans say their plan has the approval of numerous county commissions and school boards.

The issue goes before the Senate Education Committee Wednesday morning, where the Republican majority will almost certainly approve the brick and mortar version.

For more on the issue, go to our website, WPLN dot Org.

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At issue is a pot of money, about $450 million, which has built up over four years because students weren’t able to use all the money available for scholarships.

Last week, WPLN reported on the “brick and mortar” proposals which have been backed by Republican senators.

The Democratic programs at a glance:

TN Student Assistance Award Fund. SB 4197, Andy Berke. This is Governor Phil Bredesen’s plan to put $200 million in an endowment and use the interest to help students who qualify on need.

Helping Heroes Act. SB 2397, Democratic caucuses co-sponsor. Up to $1,000 per semester for veterans of Afghanistan, Iraq.

TN Back to Class Act, SB 4127 Burks. To make grants to students lacking only a few hours of reaching their degree.

Sen. Charlotte Burks: “According to the Tennessee [Student] Assistance Corporation, we have some seven hundred and thirty childr-er, students that will be available to apply for this grant the first year… It puts a hundred million dollars in an endowment and it lets these students draw off of that and be able to finish, and I know some of them have probably started families, a little bit more difficulty with the, with money, and with their budget, and I think this will really, I think this is a real plus, which is, it’s not really that much money for the benefit it’s going to do for our state.”

TN Quality Teacher Fellowship, SB 3229, Andy Berke. Loans to students planning to teach; if they teach three years in the state the loan is converted to a grant which does not have to be repaid.

TN Rural Health Act, SB 4099 John Wilder/Roy Herron. Scholarship program for medical professionals who agree to serve in rural areas.

The programs are expected to cost:

Student Assistance Fund (Bredesen’s plan) $200 million

Back to Class Act $100 million

Rural Health Act 1/3 of $50 million

Quality Teacher Fellowship 1/3 of $50 million

Helping Heroes 1/3 of $50 million

The last three lines of the above chart are, of course, approximate.

On the funding of the measures, Sen. Kyle, says, “All of these programs are scaleable.” He means they all fit within the overall $150 million the caucus expects to spend. The programs would probably vary, particularly during the run-up in the first year. Kyle says, “You’re really making a choice. Senator Tracy’s brick and mortar, or these scholarships.”