Instead of making college more affordable for Missouri families, the Blunt Administration diverted $350 million from the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA). Now MOHELA is in financial crisis.
Former MOHELA board member, John Greer, explains "MOHELA's sudden collapse to the brink of insolvency is the direct result of the governor's raid on its assets." (
Read the full op-ed) Incredibly, Jay's opponents have embraced Gov. Blunt's irresponsible decision.
I support Attorney General Jay Nixon's pledge to strengthen MOHELA to make college affordable for working families.
Missouri is 47th in per-capita higher education spending. What's more, Missouri ranks absolutely last in the percentage increase in higher education funding between 2005 and 2007. As a result, many working families in Missouri now spend an unconscionable 46% of their income to pay for college.
Yet instead of giving families the help they need to pay for college, the Blunt Administration took us in exactly the wrong direction, diverting $350 million from Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority. Now, Jay's opponents say they supported the MOHELA raid -- and will continue to if elected Governor. This is just plain wrong -- wrong for Missouri, and wrong for the thousands of people who depend on MOHELA to pay for college.
I believe that helping families pay for college is the single best investment we can make for Missouri's future. It will give us a more educated workforce, spark innovation and creativity, create more high tech jobs, and make us more competitive in the global economy. More education means higher incomes for our people and a better quality of life. It's that simple, and that's why I support Jay Nixon's pledge to strengthen MOHELA and make college more affordable for all Missourians.
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