County considers changes to scholarship fund

 "It's not necessary to continue on when you know the wheels a bit broken. We should certainly look at where we are today and we have to gauge it as we go along."

That pretty much sums up how Wicomico County Council members are feeling about the Wicomico Economic Impact Scholarship.

The county-backed program pays tuition for students who want to go to Wor-Wic Community College. 

But some leaders including, Council President John Cannon, say taxpayers aren't happy with the results so far because students aren't carrying a C average.. 

"If you're letting a student into college for free that you should have more than a 1.0 D average. The washout rate right now is about 60 percent."

However, College president Ray Hoy, says its unfair to change the rules when the program is just in its second year. 

Hoy says many people just don't have the means to pay for school and the scholarship extends a lifeline to them. 

"The unfortunate part  this is of the 18 students who are receiving this tuition and support 10  of them would have lost it if the GPA requirement were in place." 

Despite Hoy's objections, county leaders are poised to approve a resolution that would require students to make the grade, if they want to continue to get county help.

The college leader says if the measure is approved, the program's original goal will be lost. 

"This scholarship is intended to help people who may not have otherwise gone to college find a way to go to college. I'm concerned in the sense that this isn't an academic scholarship. That's not the intent of this program."

Cannon says the fact that the scholarship is need-based doesn't mean that students shouldn't have some responsibility.

"A scholarship is a scholarship. If you don't have students or children who are succeeding in the program. You're not succeeding and you're not having an economic development tool."

For now, the vote has been postponed to the first week in December.

County council will review the proposed change and vote on it later that month.