John Edwards is ending a pilot scholarship program.
The former North Carolina senator had started a privately funded program at Greene Central High School offering to pay the cost of tuition, fees and books at public college for one year if students worked at least 10 hours a week, took college prep courses and stayed out of trouble.
In his presidential run, Edwards often touted the program as a model for a national program he would start.
No longer running for president, Edwards recently informed Greene County officials that he would end the program, which cost a total of $600,000 for the first two years and helped 190 students go to such colleges as East Carolina University, Lenoir Community College and N.C. State.
The program will help a third class of students who graduated this spring attend college in the fall.
"The program was a huge success," said Pamela Hampton-Garland, director of the program. "The numbers soared. The interest from students and parents and the community rose. It seemed the whole notion of college access changed." (N&O)
Comments
Re: Edwards ends pilot program
July 31, 2008 - 2:54pm — tarheez3looks like john edwards needs that money for some other program, called the paternity payment program
Re: Edwards ends pilot program
July 31, 2008 - 10:35am — hayek66Surprise, Surprise - it seems his program is no longer political profitable.
Re: Edwards ends pilot program
July 31, 2008 - 7:30am — FFC1304If its such a huge success, why end it - especially if the money is from private donors, right? Or did this 'program' have strings attached from the 'private donors'?