Published November 1984 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd AWARDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT American education is in the midst of a crisis today, a crisis of excellence. This crisis threatens America's prosperity and security. Our nation's once unchallenged leadership in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world. Mediocrity is not good enough. It is time to return the notion of excellence to American education. Parents, teachers, and school administrators have the most direct roles in this effort, but through a new provision in the law, the federal government also will have an opportunity to encourage academic achievement. This provision is the Federal Merit Scholarship Program, which I authored and which was recently enacted by Congress. This program, which should be in operation by the spring of 1986, establishes one-year scholarships, earmarked for a student's first year of college or higher education, to be awarded to each of 10 outstanding students in every Congressional district in the country. West Virginia has four Congressional districts; therefore, 40 West Virginia students will be eligible to receive these $1,500 scholarships every year. Scholarships awarded under the Federal Merit Scholarship Program are to be administered by state education agencies and to be based solely on academic achievement. My hope is that the availability of these scholarships will be an incentive to spur students onto greater academic achievement. The Federal Merit Scholarship Program recognizes America's young academic achievers as the champions they are. The future of our nation hinges on our young people. It is the goal of this program to encourage these young men and women to achieve their potential so that they will be well prepared to restore America's preeminence in the world. November 14, 1984