Parents in college may lose aid

[ticapnews]

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/state/051226welfare.shtml

Heather Monroe retreated to Maine a few years ago to regroup in her mother's home after her divorce in Arizona.

She applied for Medicaid for her infant son, and got welfare assistance for herself, too. She then joined a state program called Parents as Scholars, which helped the 31-year-old Cape Elizabeth resident complete a bachelor's degree at the University of Southern Maine. Now she works at the university shepherding others through the program. But despite helping 1,000 welfare recipients at any one time further their educations, the program could disappear under a change in work requirements that Congress is poised to adopt. "The . . . program made it possible for me to continue going to college," Monroe said. "If it doesn't exist now, I know a bunch of people who are currently students who aren't going to be able to make it through."

Maine lawmakers, educators and welfare advocates warned that abandoning the program would deny an opportunity for better jobs that education provides and possibly force more single parents onto the welfare rolls.

On Dec. 1, the program had 975 participants, with 134 in Cumberland County, 121 in Androscoggin County and 147 in Penobscot County, the home of the University of Maine at Orono. The advantages are dramatic. Graduates earn a median wage of $11.71 per hour, compared with $8 per hour before participating, according to a 2002 study by Maine Equal Justice Partners.

(snip)

Just another example of the Republican motto: Cannon fodder don't need no book learnin'

[KamaAina]

1. What welfare rolls?

abandoning the program would deny an opportunity for better jobs that education provides and possibly force more single parents onto the welfare rolls.

In this brave new world of welfare "reform", people can only stay on TANF for five years -- lifetime. After that, it's on to the endless vicious cycle of McJobs, with no hope of advancement ever, which of course is precisely what the repukes want. :grr:

For further details, see Barbara Ehrenreich's classic Nickel and Dimed.

edit: Barabara?!

[NVMojo]

2. Repukes must be working toward "genocide" of the poor ...

it looks like they want them to starve or freeze to death on a little bit of pay... Oh, and don't forget healthcare ...