By Michael Schneider, President
McPherson College

As we move toward a post-pandemic economy, it’s time to send a strong reminder to Congress that economic rebound can be supported by increasing the maximum Pell Grant. #Double Pell – a national bipartisan movement to raise the per-person grant from its cap of $6,500 to $13,000 annually – would put a reasonably priced college education within reach of every American student and potentially eliminate their student debt.

When the Pell Grant program started in the 1970s, the grant could cover 75% of the cost of a public four-year institution, but today the maximum grant amount covers only 28% of the same costs, according to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).

According to a NAICU survey, over 80% of Americans already support expanding the Pell Grant, including 77% of Republicans and 91% of Democrats. At McPherson College, one in three students is a Pell Grant recipient. Many of these students are concerned about graduating with student loans, so they have become a part of the McPherson College Student Debt Project, which is a college-funded program that combines financial literacy education, jobs, and mentorships to create a pathway for students to graduate debt-free. The college matches 25 cents for every dollar students contribute to their education, allowing them to pay for their education in real-time.

Nationwide, Pell Grants help nearly 7 million low- and moderate-income students attend and complete college annually. They are especially critical for students of color, with nearly 60 percent of Black students and roughly half of Native American, Alaska Native and Hispanic students receiving a Pell Grant each year.

But while we’re working to expand Pell Grants, let’s also take full advantage of the current Federal Pell Grant Program.

Here’s a crazy statistic: In 2021, more than 8,000 Pell-eligible high school seniors across Kansas left a staggering $35 million in aid on the table because they failed to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the first step in determining Pell Grant eligibility as well as all other federal financial aid.

Last year, 53% of Kansas high school graduates failed to submit the FAFSA form, ranking Kansas a dismal 32^nd in the nation for the rate of FAFSA completions. Maybe this is why Kansas ranks 29^th in college graduation rates, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. We need to do better to ensure that high school seniors receive the student aid that will provide the financial support they need to graduate from college.

Although students can complete the FAFSA at any point during the year to receive Pell Grants, why put it off? Many Kansas colleges have April 1 financial aid deadlines, so I encourage students and families to take two easy steps to get their FAFSA completed:

First, Google “FAFSA” to find a quick link to apply. All you need is your 2020 tax return and a listing of your current assets. However, if you don’t have either of these readily available, you can estimate and submit, then make changes later. It takes less than an hour to complete the application.

Second, McPherson College – or any college, for that matter – will be more than happy to help you complete the form. Just call any college financial aid office, and staff can guide you through the FAFSA process.

Education Funding Fuels Economic Development

For the past 50 years, the Pell Grant has been second only to the GI Bill in terms of its impact on educational opportunity and economic progress. Doubling Pell gets more dollars to the students who need it most. With millions of jobs still vacant in healthcare, technology, and other knowledge-based sectors, we need to make higher education degrees more accessible. The future of our economy depends on maximizing every student’s potential.

I support government officials holding higher education accountable, as the business of education has become more complex over the years, adapting to a market that is less funded by the public. However, let’s not forget about the relationship education has with economic development. So often education and economic development are viewed politically as an either/or proposition. We either fund education or we fund economic development. It’s time that we start doing a better job connecting the two.

And we need to remember that most colleges are not high-priced public universities or elitist private colleges. Most of us in higher education have a mission to serve students with the goal to place students in the job market by providing affordable bachelor’s degrees, associate’s degrees as well as useful licensures and certificates. An investment in education gets more people into the workforce paying taxes, more teachers in our classrooms, more healthcare workers in our clinics, more entrepreneurs starting businesses and more executives to provide corporations the leadership they need to prosper.

Join me in asking the Kansas Congressional delegation to make an investment in America’s future by increasing Pell Grants. And, if you have a high school senior in your household – or know one among your friends and family – reach out to make sure they complete their FAFSA. The future of our communities, our state and our country will be better for having done both.

By Michael Schneider, President
McPherson College

Parents make incredible sacrifices for their kids. They’re even putting off retirement, dipping into their retirement savings, and taking out new loans – just to help their kids graduate from college. Nationally, about 3.6 million parents owe more than $103.6 billion in federal Parent PLUS loans. But parents with kids at McPherson College are creating a new trend.

McPherson College’s fall enrollment has risen annually for the past seven years. And while overall fall 2021 enrollment is up again, our total parent debt is down nearly 17% over last fall.  This sharp reduction in parent debt is due to the Student Debt Project – and the newly launched Kansas Commitment program, which guarantees Pell grant-eligible Kansas residents pay no tuition at McPherson College. Both programs provide MC families financial freedom — making it possible for students to earn their degrees without piling up unnecessary debt.

The Parent Debt Crisis

The media so often focuses on student loan debt, ignoring the fact that families are accumulating significant amounts of debt to fund a student’s education. A few things to consider about the parent loan debt in the United States:

• Over the past 7 years, Parent PLUS loan debt has grown from $62.2 billion to $103.6 billion – a 67% increase, compared with a 39% increase in loans for undergrads.
• From 2003 to 2016, the average combined student and parent debt for Parent PLUS borrowers was nearly $38,000.
• According to Sallie Mae’s 2021 report, about 9% of college costs are paid by parent borrowing.
• Parent PLUS interest rates are high compared to things like auto loans, averaging more than 7% over the past decade. In addition, the government charges parents a 4% fee on top of the loan. The government makes money off Parent PLUS loans, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

The Parent PLUS program was originally designed as a way for higher-income parents to afford private college tuition, yet in 2016 more than 200,000 families who made less than $40,000 took Parent PLUS loans. As the cost of public education has risen, more low- and middle-income parents have started seeking these loans. Unfortunately, government estimates indicate that today at least 1 in 8 parents will default on these loans, making the debt an irrevocable hardship on people who should be enjoying an empty nest and a well-deserved retirement.

While fixing the $1.7 trillion student loan crisis remains a never-ending debate in Washington, the reality is that it continues to grow unchecked. And even if student loan debt is somehow addressed by Congress this year, there’s no guarantee that relief for parent debt will be included in the legislation.

Colleges have no business saddling parents with unmanageable debt. We think colleges owe students and parents opportunities to make college affordable without massive debt—that’s why McPherson College developed the Student Debt Project and Kansas Commitment.

How MC Eliminates Debt

Today, more than one-third of our students are enrolled in the Student Debt Project, a mentorship program that teaches financial literacy skills and lets students apply earned income toward their student debt. McPherson College matches 25% of the funds the students contribute toward debt reduction. For students in the program this year, the average projected debt at graduation has been reduced by $10,000 per student.

This fall, MC’s vision of affordable college expanded further with the introduction of the Kansas Commitment, a program that guarantees full-tuition packages to Kansas residents who are Pell grant eligible and have a transfer or high school GPA of 2.5. The packages are renewable annually for students who continue to meet the eligibility criteria. It’s just one more way we can provide our students financial freedom as they plan a future without student loan debt.

Deanna Curtis is a teacher and single mom. At one point, she had four kids at MC at the same time while she was also in college for an advanced teaching degree. She was able to get her students through McPherson College without any private or Parent PLUS loans. Her twin sons were both in the Student Debt Project and Jake graduated in May without taking any student loans.

Deanna shared that, “the worry about college debt consumes you as a parent. You lay awake at night worrying about it. As a parent, you do without so you can help your children go to college.” The Student Debt Project taught her kids work ethic, determination, responsibility with their time, and to be thoughtful about how they spent their money.

McPherson College isn’t waiting for Washington to find a solution to the student debt crisis. Rather, we’re creating our own roadmap and developing our own financial aid options so we can provide our students the financial freedom they deserve.

As more students take advantage of our Student Debt Project and Kansas Commitment initiatives, we expect our percentage of students graduating with little to no debt will increase. We also expect fewer MC parents will need to apply for Parent PLUS loans.

If Washington could be this creative, the issue of student debt would be solved, and parents would breathe easier knowing they won’t be sacrificing their retirement nest egg to pay off college loans.

The McPherson College Health Science program is teaming with Central Care Cancer Center and the Wichita Wind Surge to supply sunscreen dispensers at Riverfront Stadium in Wichita.

With the baseball season underway and temperatures rising, those attending Wind Surge games, especially day games, will now have easy access to SPF 30 sunscreen at dispensers located around the stadium. Six sunscreen dispensers are located at the entry gates of Riverfront Stadium.

“We are always looking for opportunities to give back to our communities. We are thrilled to join with McPherson College in providing a service to the public that brings convenience to a necessity and allows everyone to enjoy the new beautiful Riverfront Stadium in comfort,” said Logan Schrag, chief strategic officer for Central Care.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. Using a broad-spectrum sunscreen and reapplying often is the best defense against exposure to the sun. The dispensers allow patrons access to sunscreen for every ballpark event, including home games, concerts, and other events.