The North Dakota legislature is finally doing something positive, considering a free college tuition bill. The age of North Dakota's population keeps raising. College students heavily in debt cannot find enough high paying jobs to keep them in-state, so they leave to work in places that do offer adequate salaries. A graduate's future must look pretty bleak when he or she realizes just how hard it will be to pay their school loans.
On our recent trip to Texas we learned that that state offers incentives for resident students, so this is nothing new. A plan in Michigan is being used as the model for North Dakota which, if used, makes about 35% of North Dakota's students eligible for the program. Personally I think if should offer assistance to a larger percentage, but it is what it is, better than not doing anything at all.
Education should be the prize that everyone aspires to, and more students would go for it with a little help and encouragement. I hope our legislature decides that spending some of our huge surplus on this program is appropriate and passes this legislation.
