New Hampshire Senate Bill 41 would pour $4 million dollars into a 2-year program that funds “scholarships” to students pursuing STEM degrees. From the Union Leader,
Senate Bill 41 would allot a total of $4 million to the skilled technology worker recruiting fund to pay for scholarships for fiscal years ending in 2018 and 2019. With $2 million each year, the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation would be authorized to provide awards not exceeding $5,000 per student per academic year, if the bill becomes law.
The scholarship is a tuition debt-forgiveness program meant to recruit STEM degree participants and to keep STEM graduates from leaving New Hampshire. But as written SB41 is nothing more than a pass-through to pay a portion of a student’s tuition with taxpayer dollars. There are no strings attached. STEM students don’t have to pay a dime of it back if they do not stay nor do eligible postsecondary STEM schools. The only one on the hook is Taxpayers.
