Former Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter, an Arkansas Democratic Party candidate for governor, today unveiled a new proposal that would allow all students in the state who have at least a 2.5 grade point average to attend a state college tuition-free. An except from a statement Halter released about his plan:
ai???I call it the Arkansas Promise. Simply stated, if you go to high school in Arkansas, qualify for a lottery scholarship, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and plan to attend college in the state, we promise to pay your college tuition. The overall scholarship level would be set at the tuition level of the highest-cost, four-year public university in Arkansas.ai???
As millions of Americans face steep college debt, the Arkansas Promise could be a model for college affordability and achievement across the nation.
ai???If you wouldnai??i??t hire a football coach who doesnai??i??t aspire to winning the national championship and have a plan to do so, then why would you hire a Chief Executive Officer of the state who doesnai??i??t aspire to help make Arkansas the best state in America and have a plan to make it happen,” continues Halter’s statement.
Recall that Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) members mobilized in huge numbers to back Halter in his primary against conservative Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR). As a result of that primary, Lincoln backed and passed a tough measure to regulate Wall Street banks.
We’re launching a campaign today to support Halter’s bold plan to guarantee tuition-free college to students who work hard. Click here to sign on as a citizen supporter of the Arkansas Promise.
Our nation has always appreciated education — so much in fact, that there has been a program in place since the end of WWII to provide access to higher education for millions who otherwise might not have been able to afford it.
The GI Bill has been a path for our young men and women to earn their degrees for nearly 70 years.
Any young person in our country who wants an education can earn it through national service. This problem has been solved since the 1940’s.