This letter to the editor by Eric Earling appeared in the Idaho Statesman on April 1, 2005.

Like The Statesman, President Bush believes higher education is not an option in the 21st century. Accordingly, his budget proposal for higher education increases aid to record levels - more than $80 billion in grants, loans and work-study assistance.

However, the TRIO programs, which provide counseling and mentoring to first-generation students, tend to benefit students already planning to attend college rather than targeting dropouts and other higher-risk students. TRIO programs also received ineffective evaluations because they lacked data showing success.

The president's new $1.5 billion High School Initiative allows local leaders to decide how best to meet student needs. Funds could go toward services such as those TRIO provides and much more, including: vocational education, dropout prevention or high school-college partnerships.

No young person desires a dead-end future. Through his new education budget, President Bush has sought to remove financial obstacles so needy students can pursue their dreams of education after high school. The No Child Left Behind Act has revolutionized the nation's expectations for our schools. President Bush's budget proposal will allow states and schools to better meet the needs of students and will do so more efficiently.

Eric Earling
U.S. Department of Education
Region X, Seattle