Alumni look to upcoming elections around the world for college reform; discounted tuition
By Rebekah Schilperoort
Velocity Contributor
Canadian Mark Giesbrecht passed up a government-funded education at a local university in favor of City University of Seattle’s Master’s in Counseling Psychology program.
“My Canadian friends thought I was nuts,” says Giesbrecht, who took out a $35,000 college loan to attend classes in Vancouver, B.C. “Most graduate programs in Canada are already free, however, their (admission) numbers are low. So, I went for CityU.”
Global higher education reform continues to be a debated topic in ongoing election campaigns, in particular, among U.S. presidential candidates. Americans choose their next president on Nov. 4. Washington state residents also select a governor on Super Tuesday.
CityU students and alumni concerned about higher education and increasing related costs say they want national and local politicians to provide solutions.
Giesbrecht hopes candidates vying for seats in the upcoming 40th Canadian General Election will make an affordable, quality education more accessible. The country elects Parliament and House of Commons members on Oct. 14.
“Canadians do not have the same access to university education as Americans do,” Giesbrecht says. “The biggest issue for students in Canada is the frustration at the lack of access to higher education schooling and most students also feel that the costs are too great to bear for the average citizen.”
United States
In the U.S., Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama and Republican candidate Sen. John McCain vow to help struggling college students.
Obama proposes a universal American Opportunity Tax Credit - a refundable credit to ensure the first $4,000 of a college education is free.
The credit would cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at most public colleges and universities, according to his campaign Web site.
McCain’s higher education philosophy includes modernizing the system to compete with increasing competition overseas. He proposes on his campaign Web site a plan for simplifying financial aid and tax benefits.
Washington state
In the race for Washington state governor, Republican Dino Rossi and incumbent Democrat Chris Gregoire want to make college more affordable by increasing financial aid and expanding grant eligibility.
Rick Fleehart attends CityU’s Renton campus and works for Boeing. Fleehart’s employer pays for his degree but he’s familiar with higher education complexities. He researched student loan and federal aid programs to send his two children to Gonzaga University in Eastern Washington.
“It would be great to simplify the tax credit process. Education costs should be somehow discounted to encourage use,” he says.
Democracy Matters, a non-partisan group, notes the average tuition at four-year public colleges increased 35 percent since 2001 and by 5.9 percent at private colleges in the past academic year. Many undergraduate students leave college $20,000 in debt.
Washington state Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-Seattle) supports Obama’s Opportunity Tax Credit proposal.
“We need to expand our financial aid programs but also restructure the federal loan programs (so) that students are not encumbered with such high levels of debt,” she says.
George Stefan, who studied at CityU in Romania and graduated from the Vancouver, B.C. campus, says education in America has become “a business.”
The Romanian government paid his college education.
“When it comes to education, medical and social services coverage…the U.S. has a long way to go,” Stefan says.
Elections Abroad
Significant international elections took place earlier this year while others will be held by year’s end.
Canada holds its federal election next month. Major education goals include providing equitable opportunities to earn college degrees to support a strong economic workforce.
The country’s liberal campaign platform specifically calls for a 10-year, $70 billion plan to invest in education, child care and infrastructure.
Education reform is a top priority in the Republic of Macedonia, Greece where a new conservative government coalition recently was voted into power. The coalition plans to offer better education throughout the country, including Athens where CityU runs two campuses.
Register to Vote
National and local polls show an increase in young voters signaling some may want changes in higher education policy.
The U.S. saw a surge of democrats registering to vote for the first time during the primaries. In November, election analysts expect a record turnout, including in King County where 10,000 new voters register each month.
Mail-in or online voter registration in Washington state ends Oct. 4. In-person voter registration for new residents ends Oct. 20. Visit http://kingcounty.gov/csc/#sites for more information.
