Erik C' Ness

1
The Criteria Evolution of the West Virginia
PROMISE Scholarship Program
Erik C. Ness University of Pittsburgh Lisa
DeFrank-Cole West Virginia University 24th
Annual Student Financial Aid Research Network
Conference Portland, Oregon June 21, 2007
2
Merit Aid Proliferation
1993
2003
Dynarski, S. (2004). The New Merit Aid. KSG
Faculty Research Working Paper Series. Harvard
University.
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
3
State Merit Aid Programs
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
4
State Merit Aid Programs
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
5
West Virginia PROMISE Background

• Adopted in 1999
• Funded in 2001
• Initial Eligibilty Criteria
• 3.0 GPA (overall and in academic core courses)
• 21 ACT (1000 SAT equivalent)

24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
6
West Virginia PROMISE Funding and Enrollment
History
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
7
West Virginia PROMISE
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
8
West Virginia PROMISE
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
9
West Virginia PROMISE
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
10
West Virginia PROMISE Criteria Evolution
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
11
West Virginia PROMISE Criteria Evolution
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
12
West Virginia PROMISE Criteria Evolution
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
13
West Virginia PROMISE Criteria Evolution
In the political arena you want something that
can be explained succinctly. You want a good
sound-byte, and I dont think any politician can
be faulted for that. Thats just the name of the
game and how things work. And if you work
hard, play by the rules, and qualify, there was
no simpler message than that. Well take care of
you. We promise that we will be sure your tuition
is paid in state. - Secretary Kay Goodwin
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
14
West Virginia PROMISE Criteria Evolution
Only 5 of the tax returns, personal income tax
returns, filed in West Virginia had incomes of
100,000 or better. People can say what they
want to about a family making 60,000-70,000--tha
t they can afford to send their kids to school
without any hardship. Thats nonsense. Who can
make 60 or 70 or 80 thousand and take
one-fourth of their disposable income and . just
lop it off and say, Okay, this wont affect my
family. It just doesnt happen. If you have two
kids in school, it really gets you. -
Senator Lloyd Jackson
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
15
West Virginia PROMISE Criteria Evolution
We dont see ourselves as a social welfare
agency. If the government has an interest in
that and wants more of it skewed toward
low-income students, then they had better
create an incentive for us. Its sort of a
harsh way to phrase it, but I think educators
will, left to their own devices, be more
interested, if youve got limited resources, in
the brightest people because theyre the most
likely to return on that investment back to
society. - Senior Campus Administrator
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
16
West Virginia PROMISE Criteria Evolution
You cant let that score get so high that people
dont feel they can attain it and they quit
trying. Now, 21 is the national average, so I
didnt feel guilty about raising it above 21, but
at what point does that number get so high that
too many kids say, I just cant get there. Ill
never get there, so Im not trying. If its 21,
were in trouble in West Virginia thats the
national average its going to have to be a
little bit higher than that, should have been a
little higher already. Is it 24 or 25? I dont
know. That may be too high. - Senator
Lloyd Jackson
24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole
17
West Virginia PROMISE Policy Implications

• Initial goals for merit aid programs remain
  stable
• Tennessee access and best brightest
• West Virginia retain best brightest
• Use of information increases over time
• Intrastate better able to project costs and
  eligibility rates
• Interstate learn from trends of other merit aid
  programs

24th Annual SFARN Conference Ness
DeFrank-Cole