Johnathon Boles Appointed to College Access Work Group

advertisement

Two Western Kentucky University students were recently appointed by Gov. Steve Beshear to work on making Kentucky higher education more affordable.

On Wednesday, Johnathon Boles, Student Government Association president and Kevin Smiley, a member of SGA, traveled to Frankfort for the first meeting of the College Access Work Group’s student committee.

The group is charged with producing two reports with recommendations to Beshear in four areas of “major concern:” making college more affordable; making financial aid more accessible and easier to understand; easing barriers to transfer from community and technical colleges to four-year institutions; and determining appropriate levels of state support for higher education and outlining performance expectations more clearly, according to a news release.

Boles said the student portion of the project has set up an online forum for discussion and has created a Facebook page to attract student feedback about the issues.

He said during the first meeting, he and Smiley discussed how outside expenses, such as the average $800-a-year cost of textbooks, can impact a student’s ability to afford college.

The Elizabethtown junior, who joined about 13 other students from public and private schools throughout the state, said he has a renewed faith in state government knowing that the governor is allowing students to have a voice in issues that greatly affect them.

“We’re almost like front-line infantry - we’re there, we know what’s going on,” Boles said. “I’m honored the governor chose me to represent WKU but also the whole community. We represent every student, teacher and parent who will pay for higher education. It’s a big responsibility and we will not take it lightly.”

Only 17 percent of Kentuckians have bachelor’s degrees; the national average is nearly 25 percent and might reach 32 percent by 2020.

The governor established the College Access Work Group - co-chaired by Pete Mahurin of Bowling Green - with several business leaders, officials and university presidents in addition to the student committee.

He said he wants ideas that are “bold and practical” that will be presented in reports in January and September.

“It’s my belief that no person in this state with the drive and ability to succeed should be denied access to a college education because he or she can’t afford it,” Beshear said in a news release. “Yet because of cost, the door of opportunity is closed or beyond reach for too many of our children.”

Smiley said he was involved in several state rallies for higher education funding last year and enjoys being able to take part in the legislative process.

“It’s very interesting because governments often don’t engage their people on their turf like this. It’s not very often someone from another cabinet convenes with 20 farmers or something like that,” he said. “It’s a very unique opportunity to make our voices heard because we care and have an investment in this as do thousands of others.”

The students said they will be meeting with campus groups to ask their peers what their concerns are with affordability and see if they have any creative input on the state’s dilemma. They will reconvene with the student committee in Frankfort in January to present their findings.

“The commonwealth of Kentucky finally wants college affordability to become a big issue for us,” Smiley said. “We have a say and myself and Johnathon have a say in letting people know how important this issue is and something can be done to make college affordable for Kentuckians again.”