Eating educational seed

If you've ever lived in a farming community, you know the importance of seed grain. It's the most valable grain, because it's used to plant the next crop. Each single seed represents a multiplied number of seeds, because each will yield a stalk of produce with a head filled with more seeds. In math, that's called exponential progression or exponential growth.

And if you've ever read the history of the Plains, you've probably come across sad stories of drought. In the worst, severe food shortages caused farmers and their families to eat their seed. They staved off imminent starvation but ensured future failure.

Our state is suffering the worst cash drought in years. Dire dilemmas usually call for drastic decisions. But unfortunately, some legislators are casting hungry eyes in the wrong direction.

Educational seed

The Tuition Equalization Grant program represents one of Texas' most valuable and effective silos of educational seed. The TEG program provides state-funded financial aid to offset some tuition costs for Texas students who attend private colleges and universities. Distribution of TEG aid is based on need, and the grants have been crucial for the education of first-generation college students and minorities at those schools.

Schools affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas are slated to receive $29 million of the $101.8 million in TEG funds budgeted for this year. The Texas Baptist institutions verify they distribute TEG aid to students—particularly racial and ethnic minorities—based on financial need. Many of those students could not afford to stay in the schools without the TEG support.

(To see a news story about the TEG situation, click here. To read a Houston Chronicle column about TEG written by Baylor University President Ken Starr, click here.)

Unwise option

Of course, Texans need to sacrifice during these lean times. And Christians, in particular, need to model behavior that reflects our concern for the common good. We must recognize the importance in unselfish budgeting and legislative decision-making. But gutting the TEG program would be unwise for several reasons:

First, such a cut would disproportionately harm students from poor families, particularly minorities and students who are the first from their families to attend college. This would create a financial gap between the private schools and the state population, creating an air of elitism the schools have worked hard to eliminate.

Second, it would have the opposite financial effect from what budget-cutters intend. Texas taxpayers spend more than twice as much on each state-school student as they do on each private-school student. So, when a TEG cutback pushes students from private schools into public universities, we'll more than double our state costs for educating them. (Talk about eating your seed … .)

Third,  it would diminish the positive influence the 40 private schools exert upon our state. Texas enjoys a long history of private college education. Our state's oldest university (Baylor) is private, and the other private schools cover our territory. They typically offer a unique worldview that complements the fine education provided by the public schools. We need the contributions of both to maintain our state's strength.

Fourth, now is the worst time in Texas' history to cut back on education. The future of our state depends upon a strong base of educated workers. If we don't properly and thoroughly train as many young people as possible, our strength in the marketplace will falter. The leadership base of our communities will erode. And as both of these events occur, the financial stability of our state will decline. This particularly will be true if we fail to educate young Hispanics—a key recipient cohort of the TEG—who will comprise Texas' majority population during their lifetimes.

Sure,  we must budget carefully and wisely. But eliminating or drastically reducing the Tuition Equalization Grant program is as bad or worse than eating seed grain. It's not desperate; it's dumb.