AIM elsewhere
Someone I know suggested the following logic to me the other day. I had not thought about the recent cuts to higher education in these terms before, and could not think of any reason why the argument should not prevail:
“The state allocation to the universities is intended to bridge the gap between tuition and the total costs of higher education. When the majority leadership cut the budgets of the universities so drastically, their actions could not have been intended to curtail research at the universities, as those activities are funded by other sources. Their actions could not have been intended to curtail benefits for out-of-state students, for they pay higher tuition, which is not subsidized by the state. It follows therefore, that the intent of the Legislature could not have been anything but to curtail benefits for in-state students, and in-state students alone. Therefore, the universities should make reductions in services that affect only in-state students. Therefore, the AIMS scholarship should be one of the first things the Board of Regents should terminate.”
I struggle with the idea of cutting the AIMS scholarship because we need to support our best students, despite my concerns about the use of any standardized test for such awards, but that’s another story.
Indeed, as a recipient of a Regents Tuition Waiver, I know the value of that state investment and encourage the Legislature to provide more merit-based scholarships.
So, in light of the above, I propose that the Legislature enact measures that would provide for private support of the AIMS scholarship, perhaps as a specific voluntary gift on the Arizona tax form (provided it is not structured the same as the “Aid to Education Fund,” see Line 41!) or perhaps through tax incentives to small businesses and corporations who contribute to the program.
David Wright
Staff
