Blunt touts aid during MU visit

In the 2005-06 school year, about 1,000 MU students received a combined total of $2.4 million in scholarship grants from the state. But if a plan proposed by Gov. Matt Blunt goes into effect, the amount spent would go up to $9 million — and 5,500 students would receive aid.

That’s what Blunt said Friday afternoon in a conference at MU’s Jesse Hall. He spoke about his proposed Access Missouri scholarship program, which he said is intended to increase funding for need-based scholarships and to offer a less-complicated method for applying for aid. He said this would allow more people to benefit.

From 2005 to 2006, the state spent $24.2 million on need-based scholarships. Access Missouri would almost triple that amount, bringing it to about $72 million. Blunt projected that almost 30,000 students would receive aid.

He said the plan won’t require any money the state doesn’t have, but would instead reallocate already budgeted funds.

The governor hasn’t had much luck with higher education funding proposals lately. The long-in-development sale of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority has all but come to a permanent halt.

But, Blunt said Friday that he is confident Access Missouri will be embraced by the state legislature. He said the plan already has majority support.