 "Photo:")
College of Notre Dame of Maryland students may see a positive impact thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, more commonly known as the Stimulus Package, through opportunities of more Pell Grants, Federal Work Study and a tax credit starting fall 2009.
Although it is said that the stimulus package will have less impact in higher education than in other sectors, students who get Pell Grants might qualify for an increase through the federal government, an increase of Federal Work Study dollars thorough the Maryland State Department of Education and a tax credit to offset the costs of education. All these benefits to students will likely come into effect at the start of the next fiscal year on July 1, thus being available to students beginning fall 2009. "The stimulus package should allow more students to pursue their dream of a college education" Vice President for Finance and Administration at the College, Rick Staisloff said.
The stimulus package has also allocated $8.8 billion for 'shovel-ready' construction projects with the incentive of creating jobs in different sectors, thus the money is not only assigned to higher education. It is up to Governor Martin O'Malley to decide to what sector in the state this money will go, so the College is not counting on it. "We have to have control of our own destiny," Staisloff said.
In the event that the money does come, this money will go directly to the School of Pharmacy construction, since it is ready to go. This construction does not depend on the state's money. In a study conducted by the College, the construction of the new School of Pharmacy will create 250 new construction jobs in Baltimore. "Education is the engine that will restart the economy," Staisloff said while mentioning the need to invest in the students' future.
The Maryland Independent Colleges and University Association (MICUA), lobbying arm of Maryland's independent colleges and universities, has been trying to demonstrate to the state how higher education institutions, as well as the state, could benefit from allocating construction money to projects in higher education institutions. Dr. Mary Pat Seurkamp, president of the College, mentioned that it will be a very competitive process. MICUA also advocated with the governor for more money through Sellinger funding, but this petition was denied. The Joseph A. Sellinger State Aid Program is the primary State support for independent higher education. This fund was cut 15 percent last year due to the state's current budget deficit.
Dr. Seurkamp said that it "does not appear that independent colleges will get money through the state", which means that the college will have to look for other organizations or agencies through which money from the stimulus package might flow.
Although the College is not getting direct money from the stimulus package, students will. Staisloff hopes that the stimulus package will help to turn the economy around quickly and give confidence to students and mentioned that "if students have confidence in their future, they will invest in themselves."
Be the first to comment on this article!