NJJP: Let's Make the NJ DREAM Act a Reality for More Students

Yesterday, with Assembly Budget Chair Gary Schaer, advocacy leaders and students by our side, New Jersey Policy Perspective released a groundbreaking report on the impact of New Jersey's new Tuition Equality Act, which made in-state tuition available to qualified undocumented students.

The law, also known as the NJ DREAM Act, was an essential step toward providing better educational opportunities for all students in the state. But a careful review of enrollment numbers by our Policy Analyst Erika Nava found that many are still unable to pursue this opportunity, largely due to lack of financial assistance.

Over a seven-month period, Nava surveyed each of New Jersey's 11 public colleges and universities on their Tuition Equality implementation and enrollment numbers. The new NJPP report is now the only public source of data on how students have benefited from the law. Some key findings include:

• Overall, 251 new students benefited from the Tuition Equality Act in 2014.
• New student enrollment increased by 666 percent (from 29 to 222) from the Spring to Fall 2014 semesters - an unsurprising increase, since the law was enacted on December 20, 2013, with only days left before the Spring semester began.
• In New Jersey the average undocumented family's income is $39,100 per year, about $75,000 less than the average family income of all New Jerseyans - making the prospect of paying even $13,000 a year for in-state tuition difficult at best.
• Undocumented students are more likely than their peers to take breaks from school to work full-time or handle family responsibilities, and are less likely than their peers to get assistance from their parents. At the same time they are more frequently expected to contribute to their family's income.
• The cost of extending state financial aid to these students would be minimal, and could easily be done in a way that expanded opportunities for all low-income students at once.

These and other findings in the NJPP report point to this conclusion: The Tuition Equality Act was not enough to foster educational and economic opportunity for all New Jerseyans. New Jersey must also allow undocumented students to access state financial aid - a measure included in the original Tuition Equality Act but vetoed by the governor.


Read the full report here, and check out great coverage on NJTV and in the Star-Ledger.

Albert Einstein lived here / Learn About Options for College

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:


When Albert Einstein died in 1955, the Washington Post featured a drawing by Herblock showing the Earth with a large sign saying, "Albert Einstein lived here." Clearly claimed as a citizen of the World, Einstein is most commonly associated with New Jersey, where he spent his last two decades. He is perhaps our state’s most recognizable figure, as well as the symbol for the universal wise man.

Einstein was amused and even uncomfortable with his status as sage. He once commented that "To punish me for my contempt for authority, Fate made me an authority myself." He knew that truth is not what an authority says it is, however wise the saying may sound, but rather it is what becomes understandable by repeated tests against the evidence. Whether in science, religion, or human affairs, he believed that one must continually test new ideas and work to overcome dogma, assuming “an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and our own being.”

It was this attitude that brought Einstein to America. Disgusted by the growing Nazi authoritarianism of 1930s Germany, Einstein sought a true democratic society where the ideas of a former patent clerk could be tested on a par with those of anyone else. Although Princeton was a quiet, somewhat conservative town, the United States offered in our democracy the scientific, social, and political ferment he sought. And he brought a lot of wisdom along, I think most of us would agree.

If he were looking today, would Einstein move here? Are we eagerly developing the new thinking that will take us into the future? Some days I wonder whether we’re doing everything possible to see that Einstein's attitude would flourish still in New Jersey and America.

I wrote at greater length about Einstein’s time in New Jersey for the official blog commemorating our state’s 350th anniversary.

A Long-Ago Oversight

Recently, I received a call from Edwin Gall of Monroe Township, a World War II veteran who, due to a long-ago oversight, had never received several medals that he earned during his service to our country. I contacted the Army on his behalf, and earlier this week I had the honor of finally presenting to him the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Expert Badge with Rifle Bar.

If you know a veteran who also is due a medal or award that he or she never received, please e-mail me or call me at 1-87-RUSH-HOLT so that our nation may properly honor our heroes.

Protecting Scientific Research

Over the next few months, the U.S. House will consider the spending bills that will fund each federal agency in 2015. To help guide the debate, I recently led 86 of my Democratic and Republican colleagues in a letter to the Appropriations Committee urging sustained funding for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The Office of Science’s research has been integral to the development of technologies such as MRI and PET scans, new composite materials for military hardware and motor vehicles, DNA sequencing, electric vehicle batteries, and much more. As my colleagues and I wrote, “Scientific research is the foundation for the innovative solutions that will enable us to overcome many of our greatest challenges – from economic stagnation and dependence on foreign energy to curing diseases and addressing threats to our national security.”

Learn About Options for College

As you may know, America’s military service academies provide a four-year college education, with full scholarship, to young men and women who pledge to serve as the next generation of leaders in the U.S. military services.

On Saturday, May 10, I’ll host an Academy Day for high school and middle school students and their families to learn more about the U.S. military service academies. Presentations will be made by the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, and the U.S. Naval Academy. ROTC representatives will also be available to answer questions.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

North Brunswick Municipal Building

710 Hermann Road

North Brunswick, New Jersey

In the weeks ahead I’ll also be hosting two college affordability workshops for prospective students to learn more about navigating the financial aid process. Presentations will be made by representatives from Rutgers University Office of Financial Aid (OFA) – who will present information relevant to all students, whether or not they’re interested in attending Rutgers – and New Jersey Higher Education State Affordability Authority (HESAA).

Monday, May 19, 2014

7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

East Brunswick Public Library

2 Jean Walling Civic Center Drive

East Brunswick, New Jersey

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Ewing Township Municipal Building

2 Jake Garzio Drive

Ewing Township, New Jersey

Decisions Made in Ignorance Are Costly

For 23 years, Congress had an insightful, non-partisan agency aimed at providing Members of Congress and their staff with expert advice on technological aspects of public policy. From 1972 to 1995 the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) created reports on topics that were striking in their continued relevance: computer software security, disposal of chemical weapons, teaching with technology, bioenergy and more. You can see the full collection of OTA reports online.

OTA was an agency dedicated to serve Congress. When Newt Gingrich came to power in the 1990s, he eliminated OTA to cut costs. But this turned out to be a foolish move, as OTA had always saved taxpayers far more money than it cost. An OTA study on Agent Orange, for instance, helped save the government $10 million. Another report recommended changes in computer systems at the Social Security Administration that saved more than $350 million. Studies on the Synthetic Fuels Corporation helped save tens of billions of dollars.

Although in ending OTA Gingrich said Congress could get help elsewhere, that hasn’t worked. When OTA shut down, technological topics did not become less relevant to the work of Congress. They just became less understood. And scientific thinking lost its toehold on Capitol Hill, with troubling consequences for the ways Congress approaches all issues – not just those that are explicitly scientific.

Earlier this week, I sponsored an amendment to restore a minimal level of funding to OTA to help the agency get back on its feet. Unfortunately, it was defeated on a vote in the House. I’ll keep trying, though, working with my colleagues in the Senate.

Funding OTA would be a minimal expense that would pay off many times over by averting foolish or wasteful policies. Decisions made in ignorance are costly.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

84 Percent

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

These days, almost no one can afford to pay the full cost of college.

In fact, about 84 percent of full-time college undergraduates receive some form of financial aid. About 56 percent take out student loans – on average, taking on $8,100 a year in debt. Even among students whose families earn more than $100,000 a year, about 46 percent take out student loans.

Congressman Rush Holt

These figures were revealed this week in a new federal survey of student aid. Taken as a whole, the report shows that America is failing to make higher education affordable and accessible for every student.

Fixing the problem will require a major overhaul of our nation’s education policy – but in the meantime, we can at least help make student loan debt as manageable as possible.

Although Congress passed and the President signed a new law this month making student loan interest rates somewhat lower for now, the same law allows for rates to go far higher in the future. Congress can and should take the obvious step further and set interest rates much lower. Together with others in the House and Senate, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, I’ve co-sponsored legislation that would cut the interest rate on federal student loans to just 0.75 percent – the same rate the government charges Wall Street banks to borrow money.

Would You Turn Down $8 Million?

In February 2012, the federal government essentially wrote New Jersey a check for $7.67 million. The aim? To help our state establish an online marketplace so that New Jerseyans can shop for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Unfortunately, Gov. Christie, driven by his party’s reflexive opposition to the health reform law, refused to establish such a marketplace – handing the task over to the federal government instead. In doing so, he left New Jersey at risk of losing these millions of dollars in federal aid.

Earlier this month, I wrote to Gov. Christie urging him to use the funds now to help uninsured New Jerseyans understand their rights under the new health reform law, and to help small businesses understand how the law affects them. With just 39 days until the new insurance marketplace opens for enrollment, we cannot waste any time in helping New Jerseyans understand their health care options.

The governor has until February 20, 2014 to use the money before it could be revoked. He should not allow his party’s irrational hostility to health reform to prevent him from using these funds to improve the lives of New Jerseyans....


Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

President Obama's Weekly Address 7/7/12: Pushing Congress to Create Jobs, Keep College in Reach for Middle Class

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama spoke to the American people from Ohio about a bill signed on Friday that does two important things: it keeps thousands of construction workers on the job rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, and it stops interest rates on federal loans from doubling this year for more than seven million students. The President urges Congress to do more to help our economic recovery and create jobs, including taking half the money we’re no longer spending on war and using it to build roads, bridges and wireless networks at home, and expanding financial aid to two million students while giving them the opportunity to learn the skills that businesses need right now. It’s time for our elected officials to come together to help strengthen the middle class.

President Obama's Weekly Address 4/28/12: Helping our Veterans and Servicemembers Make Informed Decisions about Higher Education

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama told the American people about a new Executive Order he signed on Friday to crack down on bad actors that prey on our veterans and service members considering higher education. Unfortunately these brave men and women are often bombarded by schools that provide false or misleading information about things like interest rates on loans, credit transfers, and job placement programs. The President’s new Executive Order makes it easier for veterans and service members to make informed decisions about financial aid and paying for college and also takes a number of steps to fight deceptive practices by some institutions. President Obama will always make sure that those who serve this country get every opportunity they deserve.

NJPP Monday Minute 4/19/10: Christie budget gets an "F" in higher education cuts

In preparation for yearly budget hearings, the Office of Legislative Services analyzes each state department and posts analyses online. Because the Christie administration was slow to provide budget details this year, OLS analyses are less comprehensive than in past years. The information available, however, details significant changes in the administration's proposed appropriations for higher education.

OLS' Higher Educational Services report estimates that resources available to students and institutions of higher education will be nearly 14 percent less than current year spending. Of the more than 30 detailed changes included in this analysis, only one represents an increased appropriation.

COLLEGE FUNDING
Because state funding to colleges and universities has decreased while operating costs increased, state support as a share of college budgets has declined precipitously - from an average across all of the colleges and universities of 48 percent in 1990 to less than 14 percent in the budget Gov. Christie has proposed for FY 2011. Cuts in institutional funding and caps on tuition and fees limit the number and scope of courses colleges can offer.


TUITION AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
The Christie administration proposes reductions in support to state colleges and universities, and funding cuts to all financial assistance programs but one.

On average, college tuitions in New Jersey are already among the highest in the nation. A survey for 2007-2008 by The College Board ranked New Jersey's $9,984 in-state average tuition and fees as second only to Vermont's $10,428.

As tuition and fees have grown, student assistance also has generally increased - until this year. Tuition Aid Grants (TAG) and the New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship I and II (NJSTARS) are the state's largest aid programs. TAG may see a cut of $10.9 million to $292.6 million in FY 2011. Currently, one in three full-time New Jersey college students receives a TAG grant. The budget estimates that TAG appropriations will support 63,735 students in academic year 2010-2011, 924 more than in 2009-2010. It will support more students, in part, because awards to students at private colleges would be much smaller due to a reduction in the maximum size of these awards.

The budget plans to increase the NJSTARS programs by $1.46 million to $20.1 million. This is the only increase identified in the OLS analysis. But while it is expected to support 2,100 students in college now (252 more than in 2009-2010), incoming freshman students to county colleges who do not already have a scholarship lined up are out of luck. No support will be available to them for the foreseeable future.

THOMAS EDISON STATE COLLEGE
Perhaps the most bizarre recommendation regarding higher education in the FY 2011 budget is the elimination of the $5.3 million appropriation to Trenton's Thomas Edison State College (TESC) and the recommendation that it (along with the state library and the state museum) be transferred to Rutgers University "as a new model for the revitalization of Trenton's cultural district." Presidents Pruitt at TESC and McCormick at Rutgers reportedly heard about this plan only shortly before the Governor's budget address.

The colleges have little in common and seem to have little to offer one another. TESC's instructional program is not provided through a traditional classroom but as distance learning through online courses. According to NJ Biz, TESC's 18,206 students make it the second largest institution of higher education in New Jersey (after Rutgers and just ahead of Montclair State University). Just under half of its students are active duty military personnel; the remainder are non-military and about 5,500 of them are New Jersey residents. Because TESC has no residential facilities and no campus-based classrooms, its costs are lower. Its $4,815 in-state and $6,840 out-of-state tuition and fees are respectively about 40 percent and 33 percent of those charged at Rutgers.

It is unclear how either institution would gain. Rutgers limits the number of credits that can be transferred from other institutions; TESC does not. Rutgers limits the number of credits that can be earned through testing, prior learning assessment or from military and/or corporate training; TESC does not. Rutgers has few programs tailored to adults and has limited experience with online education for adults; this is TESC's bread and butter. Rutgers operates on a traditional academic calendar; TESC begins a new semester each month, enabling students to begin when they are ready and finish when they complete their degree requirements.

Considering these differences, it is difficult to believe anyone thought about this much at all-particularly when it must happen by July 1 after less than four months of deliberation. In a budget as loaded with controversy and questionable decisions as this one, what really is the point here and who benefits?

FLUNKING OUT
A recent update of NJPP's 2006 report Flunking Out: New Jersey's Support for Higher Education Falls Short found that the budget cuts proposed by the Christie Administration will likely lead to tuition increases, a serious hardship as the state-and the nation-struggle with recession. The further erosion of state support will make it more difficult for the state's colleges and universities to maintain their current programs and will curtail growth. The longer the state waits to invest in these institutions, the more expensive it will be to do it.

Gov. Christie is well aware that New Jersey institutions of higher education are under-funded. His own transition team reported that, "...some [are] grossly under-funded, so more funding for operating support would be a positive thing, especially given NJ's bottom-of-the-nation ranking in funding changes for higher education over the last several years."

Education is vital for those entering the job market, for those in low-level jobs and for the unemployed. The higher tuition rates rise, the tougher it will be to get that education. The state's future and economic vitality is a function of the quality of its workforce. Without a quality workforce, New Jersey will limit its ability to participate in a high tech economy.

The state's decision makers need to consider strong support of New Jersey's universities as a vital and necessary investment in New Jersey's future and economy - this budget proposal does not take this long-range view.