Associated Press
03/17/06
Federal cuts would threaten Iowa college prep programs
IOWA CITY (AP) - Several programs designed to help hundreds of low-income
Iowa students prepare for college could be at risk under proposed federal budget
cuts, university officials say.
The programs, including Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search, have
existed for decades at Iowa's three public universities and several of the state's
smaller private colleges.
The majority of their funding is supplied by grants from the U.S. Department of
Education - funding that President Bush wants to eliminate next year to save
more than $450 million annually.
"I know without any hesitation . . . that I have seen students that these programs
have made the biggest difference in their lives," said Jane Agyeman, director of
Upward Bound at Iowa State University.
"For us to whisk it away from them . . . and not give them the opportunity to go to
college and become taxpaying citizens of this country, we are really doing a
disservice to our future."
At the University of Iowa, Upward Bound serves about 100 students annually in
cities such as Fort Madison, Davenport, West Liberty and Muscatine. At Iowa
State, the program targets 50 high school seniors in Marshalltown, Tama and
Fort Dodge.
The Educational Talent Search program serves a broader population and age
range, beginning with seventh-graders. The program at Iowa State has a
$327,000 budget that serves 1,000 students each year.
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