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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Students Learn New Budget Math Federal Cuts Could Eliminate Some Four-Year Scholarships

Associated Press

After earning four-year scholarships, two LewisClark State College students and one from the University of Idaho may be abandoned financially because of federal cutbacks.

They are among seven in the Northwest who last week received letters from the Idaho Board of Education, notifying them the Paul Douglas Teacher Scholarship program is in jeopardy.

Congress established the Douglas award, based on academic merit, to encourage talented students to become teachers. The stipend is $5,000 a year for up to four years.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all. I had heard some financial aid might be cut, but I didn’t think it would affect me,” said Shelley Schueller, 20, a sophomore in elementary education at Lewis-Clark.

“I was actually pretty shocked and upset when I found out about it,” said the student from Kellogg.

Most scholarship cuts leave enough money to allow those taking part to complete the program, but these recipients apparently are out of luck.

Recently married, Schueller said she plans to continue her education, but must work hard to make ends meet.

The state board received a memo from the federal Division of Higher Education Incentive Programs, explaining the Senate Appropriations Committee voted to rescind the scholarship’s funding.

That coincides with House action. It is unlikely that the program will be funded next year, the memo read.

Darin Yocum, a Lewis-Clark financial aid counselor, said the Paul Douglas is not the only scholarship that has been eliminated.

The Idaho Governor’s Cup scholarship was cut this winter and others may be in jeopardy. It will likely force more students to take out loans, Yocum said.

That could become a problem if legislators decide to eliminate interest subsidies to banks.

“We have so many students now who are having to take out student loans and if they do take out the interest subsidy on that, I don’t know what the incentive will be to the banks to give those out,” Yocum said.