Stelly ‘fed up’ with cuts to higher education

Former state Rep. Vic Stelly talked about the future of higher education and the state’s money woes Wednesday at the weekly meeting of the Kiwanis Club of South Lake Charles.

Stelly lamented that higher education has suffered steady cuts in recent years. He said it’s the reason he prematurely ended his six-year term on the state Board of Regents in 2011, and part of why he left the Legislature.

“Higher education has been cut here more than any other state in America,” Stelly said. “I just got so fed up with it.”

One way to free up funds for higher education, he said, would be to reform the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students. TOPS was once seen as the “greatest thing happening in Louisiana,” he said, but the costs are no longer sustainable.

One way to save the program, he said, would be to make it harder to qualify. He said it’s “too easy” to get in, resulting in high dropout rates at many schools.

“We don’t owe you free college for being average,” Stelly said.

Other recent suggestions, such as requiring students who drop out to pay the state back for their schooling, wouldn’t be as effective, he said.

When asked whether he thought small universities would ever be shut down or merged with large institutions, Stelly said, “No.”

“It’s too political,” he said.

He recalled failed efforts to merge schools when he was on the Board of Regents. One was the idea of merging Louisiana Tech University, LSU Shreveport and Grambling State University — which drew a strong objection from LSU.

At other times the board considered merging failing schools with nearby succeeding schools, with no luck. He said the institutions were too integral to the community.

He said the support for Mc-Neese State University would make it all but impossible to shut the school down.

He added that although reducing the number of institutions may seem like a good way to save money, the whole purpose of having regional universities was to make them accessible to low-income commuter students.

“We’re a poor little old state — I don’t know if y’all realize that,” he said.

One Kiwanis member asked Stelly whether the state was as cash strapped as lawmakers claim. “Yes, it is,” Stelly answered.

He said part of the problem is that many in Baton Rouge are taking a hard line against tax raises without presenting solutions to budget issues.

“It’s real easy to sit back and take the high road and say, ‘Oh we’ve got too many taxes. Let’s cut government,’ ” he said. “If you say we don’t need money, tell me what to cut. And it’s not that easy.”

Stelly was known for his since-repealed Stelly Plan, which reduced state sales taxes and increased state income taxes. He also coached football at McNeese and served on the Calcasieu Parish School Board.