Guest Editorial

5/22/05

Hathaway Scholarship Plan . . . a Legacy for Wyoming 

The 2005 Wyoming Legislature will be remembered for many accomplishments.   One, the Education Endowment Account, may well turn out to be one of our state’s greatest achievements ever.   

There are two components of the legislation:  (1) $105 million for Higher Education Endowed Chairs; and (2) $400 million for a Merit Based Student Scholarships, to be known as the Hathaway Scholarship Endowment Account. 

The Hathaway Scholarship Program holds great promise for Wyoming high school students.  It is based on the Louisiana Taylor Plan which began in 1989.  The Taylor Plan – now known as TOPS – is a result of wealthy businessman Pat Taylor’s belief that education is a key to economic progress and a better society.  

Wyoming Background 

Wyoming’s connection to the Taylor Plan began at the Wyoming Heritage Foundation’s “How Are the Children?” public forum on November 18 – 19, 2004.  Dr. James Caillier, former President of the Louisiana State Higher Education System, and now the Director of the Taylor Foundation, spoke at a lunch meeting attended by over 650 Wyoming business, political, local government, non-profit, education and citizen leaders.  In the weeks that followed, a number of legislators requested bills to be drafted.  First Lady Nancy Freudenthal asked the Governor’s Office to invite Dr. Caillier to Wyoming to meet with legislators and others in mid-January.  A subsequent visit at the Wyoming Business Alliance/Wyoming Heritage Foundation’s request occurred in late February. 

Taylor Plan Philosophy 

The Taylor Plan’s core philosophy is that all high school students have the opportunity and a right to “earn” post-secondary (college) tuition provided the student maintains a 2.5 GPA, takes a core college preparatory curriculum, scores the state average on the ACT test, and does not have a criminal record.  The program is “blind” to financial needs; it focuses on academic performance in high school that leads to the ability to do well in college.  In Louisiana, there are three award levels:  Opportunity Award and Performance and Honor Awards which give an additional stipend based on higher grades and ACT test scores.  It is important to note that in Louisiana, students who have met these standards are guaranteed acceptance at any state or community college/university.   

Today, with Wyoming’s recent legislation, there are some 20 “Taylor Plan” states around the country.  Louisiana, which has the most comprehensive program, has seen extraordinary success.  Their results include: 

·        A 10% increase in first-time college freshmen over the past five years, with TOPS (Taylor Plan) student numbers increasing by 16%; 

·        A decline by 13.5% of students leaving the state for higher education (Note:  80% of out of state bound college students nationally do not return to their native states); 

·        48% college graduation rates for TOPS students versus 16% for non-TOPS students;  

·        Elimination of remedial education for in-coming freshmen at the flagship Louisiana State University -- 35% of freshmen required remedial education in 1989 when the Taylor Plan was approved by the Louisiana Legislature; and 

·        A higher percentage than Wyoming of high schoolers with college-ready transcripts, going to college directly and graduating within six years. 

Wyoming Legislature 

Two Wyoming legislators particularly led the internal legislative process for the Hathaway Scholarship Plan – House Education Committee Chairman Jeff Wasserburger from Gillette and Representative Steve Harshman from Casper.  As teachers, they recognize more than most, the importance of motivating students to stay in high school, do well, and move on to becoming productive citizens.  They, like many, are deeply concerned with Wyoming’s high school drop out rates of 25% - 30%.   

They crafted a way to fund the Taylor Plan – called the Hathaway Scholarship Plan – through existing education revenue streams which, if not used for education purposes, could be tapped for other state needs by the legislature.  On the last day for committees to pass bills, the House Education Committee responded unanimously by passing an amended Senate File 122 -- the previously approved Senate Higher Education Endowment Chair Program of $105 million for the University of Wyoming and community colleges, and the newly-added $400 million Hathaway Scholarship Plan for a total state commitment of $505 million, with the interest generated to accomplish the intent of the two distinct legislative components.   

What’s Next? 

On Wednesday, May 25, the Special Education Merit Scholarship Committee will meet at the University of Wyoming Outreach Building in Casper.  The 11-member committee is charged with studying various merit scholarship programs, including those introduced in the 2005 General Session.  The goal is to make recommendations to the legislature for future legislation for a merit-based scholarship program and to make undergraduate post-secondary education in Wyoming as free as possible for Wyoming high school graduates.  The committee is to make recommendations as to the amount of tuition, fees and education costs that can be sustained from the $400 million endowment earnings based on the high school GPA, core curriculum, college entrance exam, college GPA and re-entry provisions it recommends. 

Conclusion 

The foundation for the Wyoming Hathaway Scholarship Plan is rooted in the belief that better motivated and better prepared high school students succeed in college and beyond.  It is merit based and available for all high school students regardless of their parents’ income.  Every high school student can now look beyond being a high school drop out or a high school graduate.  They can earn the right to go on to college and to have a better life. 

The Hathaway Scholarship Plan is destined to become a Wyoming legacy.  The Wyoming Business Alliance, in working with the legislature, the Governor’s Office and others, is proud of its active education and advocacy efforts.  

Bill Schilling

President

Wyoming Business Alliance/Wyoming Heritage Foundation