Suspend, fix scholarship program

It is tempting to enthusiastically support what appears to be a growing sentiment in the state legislature to eliminate General Assembly college scholarships. There are plenty of reasons why a bill sponsored by some DuPage County legislators deserves to get traction, given the state's horrible financial condition and the ethical concerns that have dogged this program for years.

So, we like the idea. At the same time, we're sensitive to the fallout that, in certain circumstances, could affect students and families with no other way to pay for a college education. A reasonable solution: Suspend the program and explore ways to fix it, while also working to get the state's budget under control.

In its current format, the program allows each state senator and representative to award two four-year scholarships to students at any of the state's 12 public universities each year in office. Many choose to split the awards, granting eight one-year tuition waivers each year. The concept is noble, but the practice is beset by well-documented flaws.

Calling the awards “scholarships” in itself is a misnomer because they are really tuition waivers not funded by the state. Universities must foot the bill without reimbursement. For example, 636 students at the three University of Illinois campuses received legislative awards in 2010 costing a total of almost $9.5 million, officials said. And, the bill that created the ability to award General Assembly scholarships requires only that recipients be chosen by “competitive examination.”

While most legislators don't abuse the program, its loose requirements have led to ethical issues. There have been allegations some of the money has gone to family members, campaign contributors and the well connected.

“A legislator is able to give these out in whatever manner they want ... and that's where the abuses come in,” said Elmhurst Republican Rep. Chris Nybo, a co-sponsor of the bill to eliminate the program.

Both the funding and the vague standards are serious and troubling issues. If left unchanged, the program does not warrant support. Any reconstituted plan must take the decision of who gets the scholarships out of the hands of legislators, possibly giving the job to some need-based state agency. Funding also must be clarified so universities aren't stuck holding the bag. Maybe the program can be downsized, or — at some time in the future when the state is in a better position to handle them — the cost shared by the state and schools. Maybe a permanent funding source can be developed.

None of that will be easy. The time has come to make tough choices in Springfield, and the scholarships are a natural target for cutting. They don't have to be, though, if lawmakers can rebuild a program that is fair, above reproach and financially supportable.