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Millennium Scholarship: A Luxury or Necessity?
On Tuesday, May 31, I was reading
the article “Millennium Scholarship Fund may be broke after fall semester” by
Richard Lake of Las Vegas Review-Journal.
This article captured my attention for I was a recipient of the
Millennium Scholarship and without its aid I would not have been able to afford
college. Governor Brian Sandavol addresses
the lack of funding “with a one-time infusion of $10
million from the state's general fund, as well as continuing its past funding
mechanisms” (Lake). Despite the opportunity the Millennium
Scholarship provides to its recipients, it further advances the draining of the
state’s funding for general education K-12.
So, the question is should this funding instead
be applied to our ever-dwindling K-12 education fund? Many Nevadan’s expressed their disapproval of
the poor state of the education budget through participation in an assembly on
the Capitol steps on Tuesday, May 31, with a coffin meant to illustrate the
death of public education as a result of Governor Sandavol’s budget cuts.
Nevada
students in grades K-12 should have at the least an adequate education and the
only means to an adequate education is through decent funding, something Nevada
lacks for we rank 48th in education spending (The Associated
Press). I have personally seen and
experienced as a student the decline in Nevada’s
education. In 2006, Nevada received a B- from Education Week
Magazine’s Quality Counts. However,
since 2008 to 2010, our education system has declined to an extreme of
receiving a D+ by Education Week Magazine’s Quality Counts. As of 2010, Nevada is ranked “50th in the nation
for the quality of its public K-12 education” (The
Associated Press). While Nevada ranks so low for
education quality and spending, it appears necessary for our spending to cease being
cut and start receiving funding over the Millennium Scholarship.
However,
even though the Millennium Scholarship may appear to most a luxury instead of a
necessity, especially in regards to the horrible public education system of
today, it proves beneficial to the future of society. Similar to our public education system K-12,
the Millennium Scholarship provides for the future of our workforce. Based on my experience, the majority of
today’s employers require a Bachelor’s Degree, if not a Masters. Therefore, it proves not only advantageous,
but necessary, to attend college, a cost that increases with every semester as
a result of the economy. Ultimately, the
Millennium Scholarship offers the opportunity for people to attend college to
improve their education, obtain a decent job, earn a respectable living, and
better the economy in the process.
Reference List
Editorial Projects in Education Research
Center. (2006). “Quality
Counts at 10.” Education Week.
Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/qc/2006/17shr.nv.h25.pdf
Editorial Projects in Education Research
Center. (2008). “Quality
Count’s 2008: Nevada.”
Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/qc/2008/18shr.nv.h27.pdf
Editorial Projects in Education Research
Center. (2010). “Report
Card Grades States on Education Performance, Policy: National Scores High on
Standards Policies, But Struggles to Provide Opportunities to Succeed.” Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/qc/2010/QualityCounts2010_PressRelease.pdf
Lake, Richard. (2011). “Millennium Scholarship Fund may be
broke after fall semester.” Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved from http://www.lvrj.com/news/millennium-scholarship-fund-may-be-broke-after-fall-semester-122854794.html
The Associated Press. 2010. “Nevada ranks 50th in education
survey.” My News 3. Retrieved from http://www.mynews3.com/story.php?id=9083&n=5040,5248.
Vogel, Ed. (2011). “Letter to governor focus on ‘death’ of
public education.” Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved from http://www.lvrj.com/news/students-teachers-parents-let-voices-be-heard-on-death-of-public-education-122913888.html
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