Colorado launches college vouchers

[United Press International]

DENVER, May 10 (UPI) -- Colorado Gov. Bill Owens Monday
signed into law a voucher system that changes the way the state
finances higher education.
Owens said the new College Opportunity Fund would put higher
education dollars in the hands of the students rather than the
institutions. Each resident student at a public university or
college will receive a stipend of $2,400 per year.
"Quality education isn't about institutions, it's about the
future of our students," the governor said during a signing
ceremony. "The college opportunity fund puts real economic power in
the hands of the students and will cause colleges to complete for
those dollars."
In addition, low-income resident students attending one of
three non-public public Colorado institutions of higher learning
could receive $1,200 a year.
Owens said a special blue-ribbon panel recommended the
vouchers to strength Colorado higher education and courage more
students to attend college.
Andy Hartman, a researcher at the Denver-based Bell Policy
Center, said the new law doesn't provide any more money for higher
education, but it does free public universities from a
constitutional amendment that currently controls tuition increases.