COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ABSTAINERS

The article on Gov. Bill Owens' proposed Colorado Achievement
Scholarship that would preclude applicants who smoke, use alcohol or
drugs stated, "The initial $50 million for the program would come from
surplus money earned in the state's nonprofit student loan fund,
CollegeInvest."

To what uses is this free-floating surplus currently designated? I
can't believe, with the state's funding crisis in higher ed, that $50
million is just out there sitting idle. Is the proposed program
narrowing the group of eligible students?

If this $50 million was generated by repayments from former students
who didn't meet these new and stringent requirements, it is unfair to
direct their money to a smaller, elite group who do.

More important, who would the program leave out? Are low-income
students who are academically qualified but who drink or smoke
supposed to be too "impure" to receive a state scholarship? Perhaps we
should require them to be virgins as well. That'll narrow down the
pool of applicants. How many currently successful and valuable members
of our community would not have qualified for Owens' scholarship program?

Young people can make missteps along the road to adulthood. We
shouldn't structure a "helping" program to punish them, but rather to
liberate them. Perhaps with more education, they'll quit smoking.

S. P. Williams, Lakewood