We should not pull the rug out from under these families by eliminating the funds needed to provide the academic programs they are seeking. Our efforts must also include a hard look at all programs and activities. We are in the process of developing a set of strategies that will help us prioritize and determine how best to use the resources we have. This will be our last resort. We have tried such drastic measures before, and we have seen that they set us back for at least five years, maybe longer.
All economic obstacles are temporary.
Our ability to avoid such drastic measures is directly related to our willingness to work together and find creative solutions. The path to continue moving, positively and aggressively, toward our goal is not the easy path, but it is the right one. The LIFE Scholarship has made a college education more affordable, and if a lottery produces even more scholarship funding, we will take another major step forward. These scholarships represent a promise to the state's young people that college is possible. Now, however, they have to choose between these scholarships and a degree from a top-ranked university.