By T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Wednesday, June 21, announced details of new federal grants that could help some 93,000 Minnesota students pay for college.

Appearing at a Capitol press conference along with Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Spellings explained the Academic Competitiveness and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) grants could encourage students to study fields like math, science and engineering ñ fields vital to Americaís economy and security.

ìThis is the first time weíre really saying to our students, saying as a country, we value particular fields of study,î said Spellings.

Spellings argued thereís cause for alarm.

She cited as evidence of the countryís imperiled academic standing 2003 International Student Assessment test results that ranked American 15-year-olds 24th in math literacy and problem solving out of 29 developed nations.

Academic Competitiveness grants, which, like the SMART grant will be available this school year, could give up to $750 to eligible first-year students and up to $1,300 for second-year students with at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.

To be eligible, students must be the products of rigorous high school coursework recognized by the federal government, be U.S. citizens, be full-time students, and be eligible for federal Pell Grants.

National SMART grants of up to $4,000 will automatically be awarded to third and fourth-year Pell Grant students seeking four-year degrees in math, science ñ including physical. life and computer science ñ technology,
engineering, or learning a critical foreign languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Iranian, others.

ìIs this a big deal? It is,î said Anoka-Ramsey Community College President Dr. Patrick Johns.

ìI think the last time we looked at the statistics, about 80 percent of our students had two or more part-time jobs,î said Johns.

ìWhy do they spend so much time working ñ they have
to live, too,î said Johns, who appeared at the press conference along with other education leaders.

Although it is not yet known how many Anoka-Ramsey students will be eligible for the new grants, Johns assumes it will be a quite a few because the college has a significant number of Pell Grant students, he explained.

Justin Blahnik, a Winona State University computer science student and native of St. Charles, at the press conference explained the federal grant money will be helpful.

ìThe grant will enable me to work less, borrow less, and study more,î said Blahnik.

Some $790 million has been slated this year by the federal government for the Academic Competitiveness and SMART grants.

Starting July 1, the U.S Department of Educationís federal student aide office will begin to notify Pell Grant-eligible students of the availability of the new grant money.