The Associated Students at the University of Wyoming implemented senate bill 2343 called “ASUW Support of Child Assistance Scholarships” last January.
The Child Care Assistance Program is a program designed to aid students currently enrolled at the University of Wyoming with children. This scholarship would grant 10 students a $1,000 dollar scholarship. The scholarship would be funded by $5,000 dollars from the endowment and the other $5,000 dollars would come from student fees.
However, there was much debate about the Child Care Assistance scholarship. Many people did not understand having students pay for another student’s college degree through their own student fees. However, last January when the original bill was established and passed, it evenly split the $10,000 of scholarships into reserve and student fees.
Last year there was a student fee increase which meant that the $5,000 allocated from student fees has already been accounted for and students will not see any increase in their student fees from this bill. Therefore, students would not necessarily be funding another student’s college education.
This bill changes the source of the other $5,000 from an annual allocation from the reserve to taking the increase from a permanent endowment. It also guarantees that the scholarships will continue indefinitely where as the original bill only established these scholarships for two years.
“This bill was the ideal solution to the scholarship program, and it saves students money in the long run, while still providing scholarships to those who need them,” College of Agriculture senator Josh Messer said.
ASUW is not looking at this as a scholarship fund that is taking students fee’s to pay for another students college degree. However, it is looking at the bigger picture and wanting to help UW students who have children that are looking to further their education.
