Posted: 4/26/07

California state Rep. Mike Feuer's (D-Los Angeles) legislation, which proposes that college students receive four years of financial aid in exchange for two years of civic service in certain parts of the state, is promising despite its need for revisions.

Assembly Bill 1267 stipulates that students at the University of California and California State University would apply to participate in the program and, as graduates, work in civic or volunteer positions.

Although AB 1267 may face resistance due to legislators' concerns about using large amounts of public funding, Feuer's efforts to address the ever-rising cost of a college education while finding new and creative ways to encourage Californians to give back to their state is refreshing.

Because of the recent state budget proposal's inclusion of 7 and 10 percent tuition hikes at UCs and CSUs, respectively, providing California students with aid for college necessary to retaining highly educated state residents who will work to maintain a flourishing state economy. Students giving back to the state in return for what the state gives them could be highly beneficial.

However, AB 1267 needs to address several factors that may surface during Assembly discussion.

With many other issues facing California's public education system, the state may find it difficult to gather the necessary funds for such a project - making legislation such as AB 1267 less of a priority. Legislators will have to find a way to mix public and private funding to make this bill work, which may not be possible. Lawmakers will also have to be able to account for an indefinite amount of students eligible for aid.

Furthermore, students who complete four years of school may be enticed by a high-paying job and skip serving altogether, so legislators should ensure that all those who received the aid actually perform their post-graduation duties by enforcing a binding contract.

California's public university students face rising tuition rates, exorbitant textbook prices and high-stress job competition. Legislators addressing these problems need to extensively plan and exhibit forethought in order to help UC and CSU students realistically fund and manage their education.