Lawmaker questions grants to Baker College students

FLINT - A state representative is questioning why Baker College students got 38 percent of all the money from a state financial aid program for private schools while the school graduated only 19.2 percent of its students on time.

In the 2004-05 school year, 15,223 students at the Flint-based school got $20.3 million from the Michigan Tuition Grant program, the Detroit Free Press said Monday. Grants are available to students who apply for the funds and meet certain qualifications.

Overall, the program gave $53.9 million to 37,958 students.

Bob VanDellen, president of Baker College's Cadillac Campus, said comparing Baker's graduation rates to those of traditional four-year institutions is misleading. The graduation rate percentage in the comparison is based on students graduating within three years for an associate's degree and six years for a bachelor's degree.

Baker's average age is 29 years old and women make up 69 percent of its enrollment. With non-traditional students, VanDellen said the school sees students put their educations on hold for a few years to work and save money or tend to growing families.

Baker also has an open-door policy that gives students a “right to try” while other private colleges have academic standards incoming students must meet.

“From our point of view, they should celebrate these students going to college,” he said.

Looking at the Cadillac campus, the formula used in the comparison shows 23.4 percent of students graduating in 2002-2003, 24.8 percent in 2003-2004 and 22.8 percent in 2004-2005. The schools retention rates are 75.7 percent, 78.3 percent and 74.7 percent in the same years, respectively.