FRANKFORT, Ky. — Two elected officials — one of whom taught a class to the other at Harvard — said yesterday that they're teaming up to form a "Cradle to College" commission for Kentucky.
State Treasurer Jonathan Miller, a Democrat, and Secretary of State Trey Grayson, a Republican, said the commission is intended to find new ways to help more Kentuckians afford higher education.
The commission is made up of educators and community leaders who will look at different ways to make college more affordable.
"We are bringing together experts from around the commonwealth to take a close look at student financial aid, and to take a look at how we promote community service and help defeat the brain drain that is robbing Kentucky of some of our brightest students," Miller said.
Currently, the commission has about 20 members and does not have any formal meetings set up, they said. The commission is expected to operate largely through e-mail and other correspondence.
One idea the commission should study is whether setting up a college savings account for every child born in Kentucky could work, Miller said.
The state would provide enough money for students to attend a community or technical college.
Parents could then supplement that amount for a university degree if they desired, Miller said.
He and Grayson also hope to offer some incentives to people who choose to study for less lucrative jobs that provide public services, such as law enforcement and teaching.
Grayson, who was a student in an American presidency class that Miller taught at Harvard, said the idea was to create an incentive for people to attend school and devote some of their time to the community.
There are still many questions about such a program that need to be answered, Miller said.
Any plan the commission devised would likely require legislative action.