SEMO OFFER TO MERIT SCHOLARS FALL THROUGH

To Southeast Missouri State University's incoming class of National Merit scholars, the benefits didn't add up.

What had been promised them in the spring didn't materialize this fall. But the issue has now been resolved, Merit scholars and university officials say.

"It wasn't any kind of a bait or switch," said freshman Chris Robertson of Cape Girardeau, one of 39 National Merit and National Achievement scholars who entered Southeast this fall. "It was definitely just a misunderstanding," he said.

In a March 1 letter to the student scholars, the university offered them free-ride scholarships for the 1993-94 year, paying incidental fees of up to 16 credit hours per semester, the textbook rental fee, and room-and-board.

In addition, they were offered a $200 stipend at the campus bookstore, use of a computer and printer, a $1,000 stipend for a personal academic project, complimentary tickets to an event at the Show Me Center, and an option to study abroad, with the university picking up the tab for tuition and room-and-board.

But when the students showed up for school in August, they found things had changed.

"When we showed up for school the first day, there was no $200 bookstore stipend; there were no Show Me Center tickets," Robertson said Thursday.

The students also found out that the university's commitment to studying abroad amounted to a cost equivalent to tuition and room-and-board costs for a semester at Southeast.

The university's pledge of a $1,000 stipend had been replaced with a provision of financial assistance that listed no amount, Robertson said.

Shortly after the start of the school year, SueAnn Strom, vice president of student affairs, met with the students to discuss the situation.

As a result, a compromise was reached for this year under which students essentially receive what was listed in the original offer, Robertson said.

The university's stipulations regarding study abroad remain in place, but students can seek additional financial assistance, including requesting that the $1,000 stipend be applied toward such costs, he said.

"We are very pleased that it was worked out so quickly and that the administration heard the students' concerns and reacted in an equitable way," Robertson said.

Strom said that incoming National Merit scholars for next year will find the provisions for studying abroad clearly defined. In addition, the $200 campus bookstore stipend and the Show Me Center tickets will be eliminated.

"What we have said all along is that we want to support students in their academic endeavors, and those are not essential to academic endeavors," she said Thursday.

Strom said she views the changes more as "refinements" and not major revisions.

"Basically, in the past year since I have been here, we have been working on looking at the overall scholarship budget," said Strom. "During the past year we were analyzing the program and we did make some changes in the components of the National Merit program," she explained.

Southeast's 39 new scholars include 38 National Merit students and one National Achievement finalist (a program for African-American students).

"We have a total right now enrolled of 164 Governor's scholars and 55 of those are incoming freshmen," said Strom.

A total of 48 of the 164 are National Merit or National Achievement scholars, including the new class of 39 students, she said.

All of the Governor's scholars receive a full ride for the academic year, with the university paying tuition as well as room-and-board and textbook rental fees.

It's a renewable scholarship, provided students maintain a 3.5 grade-point average.

The university has only actively recruited National Merit scholars for the past few years. Last year 13 National Merit students were enrolled at Southeast.

With the numbers increasing, so have the costs.

"It was definitely a money factor" for which they made the changes, said Robertson.

The average annual value of a scholarship for a Governor's scholar is $5,880 for an in-state student living on campus and $7,950 for out-of-state students, university officials said.

Those figures don't include some of the added benefits that Merit scholars receive.

Strom said the incoming class of Merit scholars was notified of the changes in April. The problem, she said, was that students had already made their decision to enroll on the basis of the offer that was spelled out in the March 1 letter.

The university vice president said she believes that even with the changes for the next school year Southeast is offering a solid package.

"I believe that this package is covering basic costs of attendance for four years in order to get a degree at Southeast. However, some students may choose unique activities that go beyond what the scholarship covers," she said.