<p>Completely put in a financial box.</p>
<p>KYW</a> Newsradio 1060 Philadelphia - Christie Hopes To Slow Down Rising Costs At NJ State Colleges</p>
<p>Christie wants to reduce the state spending deficit while the nation is in the midst of a recession and NJ unemployment remains above 10%. What a smart and economically savvy governor we have.</p>
<p>Yes, years of wasteful spending on giving away pay and benefits to friends and family has gotten NJ in a big hole. Too bad it will drag RU down with it.</p>
<p>Something has to done, I support the governor even though I am a Rutgers student. Everyone says that spending needs to be cut except in their interests; Rutgers needs to contribute their fair share, and they have. </p>
<p>The only thing teacher’s unions have done is cry and cry. Its about time someone stood up to them</p>
<p>i kind of agree with the Gov. but i think there are more places to squeeze money out of (Politicians) messing with the money of the educational system can be a bit harmful but then again there is a lot of uncontrolled spending in education so i guess its good that he tightens the grip on those that a wasting money on crap…</p>
<p>I agree with Lurker, my local high-school district’s proposed budget is likely to fail and some teachers are outrageously paid, in all fairness.</p>
<p>We just received a letter today from HESAA. It states that Gov. Christie’s cuts for the budget in NJ has certain decisions that will be made. One of the budget recommendations is to suspend funding for new (Edward J. Boustein) Distinguished Scholars as well as new NJ STARS awards for the 2010-2011 academic year. Decisions to be finalized on July 1.
So with that in mind, you could be minus the DS award in your merit factoring COA for RU.</p>
<p>YUP my bloustein scholarship got cut, so mad right now. I like Christie b/c i know what he is doing is unpopular but needs to be done, but I don’t like the fact how you can tell us we’re going to get it, then take it away after we already have our college selections in mind. I am staying in state in large part because of the financial incentives. And I could have gone to Wake Forest. Wow. New Jersey definitely has the worst public schools.</p>
<p>caizzacuz17 - if you don’t mind sharing, when and how did you find that your scholarhsip had been cut? I live in a state where voters are being asked to pass temporary sales tax to avoid gutting education (who knows if measure will pass or not) but universities have publicly stated they will look at rescinding scholarship/admission if their budgets get axed. Some think this isn’t really possible because of legal obligation to fulfill financial offers made - but your post makes it seem that other states have already done so. Was your scholarship newly offered and then rescinded, or already in use and not renewed? </p>
<p>If rescinded in our state - students wouldn’t find out about it until after May 1st. That doesn’t seem fair to me no matter the budget woes.</p>
<p>I live in NJ (obviously) but I was informed by a letter in the mail today. Part of the letter is up on wikipedia right now. You can read up on it here: [Edward</a> J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_J._Bloustein_Distinguished_Scholar]Edward”>Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholar - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>It tells you who qualifies and what not. Pretty much what it is is a way to keep the state’s best and brightest in state, since NJ has the highest amount of students of any state in the US who leave NJ to go for their education in another state. We were informed that we were honored with it prob around November but since we have a new governor who has vowed to take on the State’s huge debt, this is one of the many cuts decided upon.</p>
<p>You might not want to hear this, but I’d say get rid of the STARS program.</p>
<p>I can hardly pay for myself to go to college, so why is my money, that I need, paying for you? Because you had a slightly higher GPA in college? </p>
<p>I’m graduating community with above a 3.8 and my tax dollars are still paying for YOU to go to school.</p>
<p>Let him cut STARS…you’re not entitled to my money.</p>
<p>Actually it has not been cut yet - It is part of a budget that will be voted on in July. The letter just wanted to warn students it is a possibility so if it does get cut they won’t throw a fit. </p>
<p>But I agree - why honor these students with an award (My son’s school presented winners with certificates) and then pull it away from them? If you are considering cutting it, do it next year before the awards are decided upon.</p>
<p>Wow, that was fast for the info to go up on Wikipedia!
D’s offer came in Feb. HESAA letter says July 1 will be the final say (after May 1). I only wish that a temp sales tax here would help, but it won’t. The closing of the letter “I hope this information is helpful as you make your final college choice” — 3 days before school deadline decisions are due… Christie has suggested some tough measures that are desperately needed.</p>
<p>hotsawce- I was not hoping to use STARS to go to a community college, I want the Bloustein, which I won to go to any instate school (value of $1000 a year). Regardless if you like it or not, and I will say I do understand you opinion but if incentives aren’t provided the best students who in the future will make NJ prosper will be forced to move and be educated elsewhere.</p>
<p>mamajay- you are delusional, it will absolutely be cut, maybe not yet, but absolutely in the future. The reason why they say that is to exhaust any morsel of hope that have so the students and families aren’t all in an uproar. Rest assured it will be cut.</p>
<p>P.S. hotsawce- getting a High GPA in a community college is a joke, my sister did absolutely horrible in high school, but now has a perfect 4.0 at community college. And I got b/c ofboth my high GPA in high school and high SATs. I’m also sure u wouldn’t complain if you were going to recieve it. Bloustein is far far harder to get than NJ STARS</p>
<p>Hate to break this to you but the letter also states that they might get rid of the STARS program as well. If anyone is relying on this program, be careful. </p>
<p>The worst part is we won’t know until July, so how can you base your college decision on this?</p>
<p>@caizucuzz17 - You’re not even in college yet, little man, so how do you know what’s difficult and what’s not? A number of factors contribute to high school performance. </p>
<p>Some people don’t perform well when they can’t choose their classes, teachers, or schedule. I was one of them. As soon as I left, everything clicked. I ended up performing better in college than a lot of my former classmates receiving STARS assistance, yet I had trouble paying my own way.</p>
<p>By the way, I wouldn’t take STARS money, so don’t assume. It’s due, in part, to my personal beliefs. The fact of the matter is you’re not entitled to any money, and to think you understand the economics and driving force behind the education system is ludicrous. Incentives my ***. I don’t care what you consider harder to achieve…it doesn’t matter. The money must come from somewhere.</p>
<p>Talk to me when you’re living in the real world and not mooching off mommy and daddy, because all I hear right now is some punk in high school that think’s he understands and is entitled to the world. You’re just as bad as the ones that come here complaining they “only” received 15 grand in financial aid :rolleyes:. You have no concept of money. You don’t just “get” to take funds from citizens of the state because you do well in school, and I’m glad Christie is taking a hammer to it.</p>
<p>Christie is an absolute moron who is only behind Jan Brewer for having the least control over their state.</p>
<p>mamajay- I already paid my deposit fee and know way too much about the school to switch now.</p>
<p>Hotsawce- once again my sister and my brother go to community college. My brother had to drop out of rutgers b/c he was doing terribly, now he has also has a perfect GPA. That should not happen. period. Community college is supposed to get you ready for a four year university not give you false hope. Also once again I never said I was entitled to anything; I said that in the long run the program is extremely effective compared to the many programs in the state that waste money and got us into this problem. I definitely do not mooch ff my parents, you are just talking through your *** and trying to make stuff stick, I am trying to completely pay off college MY OWN SELF. My parents have four kids in college at the same time, they can’t afford all of them.</p>
<p>LAST, I support Christie and what he is doing my problem is don’t send us all these letters and forms about how to collect the money just to take it back months later. You would definitely not refuse free money, you are saying that out of jealousy. period.</p>
<p>Wow. I guess it isn’t surprising that this thread sparked such controversy. These are tough times and unfortunately most everyone has been affected in some way. I think it boils down to fairness. No one seems to dispute the fact that NJ needs some drastic reform. But to offer students an award for something they have earned from a program that ALREADY EXISTS, just does not seem fair. You could argue that life is never fair. But if we’re ever to get to a point where we can begin to look past our differences for the common good, a foundation of common decency seems to be a great place to start. Give the students what they have already been offered and make changes as we go forward.</p>