Tuition

Gov. Martin O'Malley charted a course for the state through a national recession yesterday, pledging to protect safety net programs, freeze college tuition and eradicate childhood hunger. The Democratic governor laid out the vision in his third State of the State address before a joint session of the General Assembly, which must approve many of his plans. In a 30-minute speech, O'Malley said he "never felt more energized" despite bleak economic times, and repeatedly invoked President Barack Obama's name, drawing applause in the overwhelmingly Democratic legislature.

Here's an idea guaranteed not to be on your grandchildren's holiday wish list - a 529 college savings account. Here's a closer look at how grandparents can use 529 plans or two other approaches to help out on college costs: Tax free The most popular approach for helping the grandchildren pay for college is the 529 plan, which allows you to put away money tax-free for higher education expenses. Every state offers at least one 529 option. Maryland has two such plans. Grandparents can set up a 529 account or contribute to an existing plan opened by the grandchild's parents.

Theatreworks...Live! Inc. will offer fall musical theater classes at County Ballet Dance Studio, 2232 Old Emmorton Road, Bel Air. Available programs include: Theatreworks Jr.: "Pretending" for ages 4-7 from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays Sept. 22 to Nov. 10. Students will listen to short stories, poems and plays, and act them out, ending in a presentation. The cost is $50. Musical Theatreworks: "Broadway Comes Alive" for ages 8-17 from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. Saturdays Sept. 22 to Nov. 10. Youths will focus on acting skills, vocal presentation, stage movement and dance, and give a presentation.

MY RECENT trip "down the ocean" was supposed to be relaxing. I anticipated introspective walks on the beach, visits to my favorite used bookstore, a cooling dip in the surf and lots of tennis. The reality was different.In years to come, I'll refer to this trip as the vacation of the plagues. There were three, starting with the heat. I've never been one to complain about hot, humid weather. It used to be that during July and August, while the rest of my family crowded under the beach umbrella I'd spread out my towel.

FOUR PREDICTIONS for 2000:There'll be considerable turmoil around the school chiefs in Baltimore City and Montgomery County.In the city, here we go again. Two years ago, Robert Booker was hired as chief executive officer in large part because of his financial expertise; he was the chief money man of San Diego County, Calif.But city schools face a budget deficit approaching $30 million, and officials are amending a court-ordered master plan to squeeze out more money. Booker is a quiet and unassuming man at the head of a district many feel needs a 76-trombone parade.

REP. THOMAS M. Davis III of Virginia first floated the idea of charging Washington, D.C. college students in-state tuition at Maryland and Virginia public colleges last month.The idea is a good one. So good, in fact, that before the Republican congressman could fine-tune his proposal, President Clinton included it in his budget request to Congress last week.Never mind that the $17 million the president requested was $10 million more than Mr. Davis had envisioned in the program's first year.

WASHINGTON -- Deepening the division among courts about the legality of using public funds to pay for tuition at parochial schools, the Vermont Supreme Court yesterday struck down that kind of subsidy.Because this latest ruling on school vouchers was based only on the state constitution, it is binding and cannot be challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court.But, by adding to a lengthening list of decisions on the issue, with differing results, the Vermont court put pressure on the Supreme Court to take on the dispute under the U.S. Constitution.

The Maryland Prepaid Tuition plan kicked off its second enrollment period yesterday, hoping to recover from last year's stumbling start.The program, which allows parents to pay in advance -- basically at current levels -- for their children's tuition and fees at colleges and universities, signed up 1,100 participants last year. The goal was 10,000.Program administrators think that goal will be reached by this year's cutoff June 10. They blame a late start and a confusing message for last year's poor results.

Legislative budget analysts, testifying in hearings in Annapolis yesterday, recommended delaying a program that would provide scholarships for college students planning to become teachers, and holding off on committing more money to the state's prepaid tuition plan until it proves viable.In the first airing of Gov. Parris N. Glendening's higher education initiative before the Health, Education and Human Resources Subcommittee of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, analysts for the Department of Legislative Services called for trimming $6.4 million from the Maryland Higher Education Commission's $102 million budget.

It is a budget built around the assumption that John G. Gary would continue as county executive and pump millions of dollars into Anne Arundel Community College, enabling its board of trustees to keep tuition the second-lowest in the state.Gary lost the November election, and the board, which got its first glimpse at the school's $50.2 million budget yesterday during a brief presentation by college President Martha Smith, is waiting to see whether newly elected County Executive Janet S. Owens will follow Gary's lead.

Maryland's prepaid college plan ended its fiscal year with a $52.4 million actuarial deficit, but the plan's financial outlook improved in the past six months with the help of a tuition freeze and stronger stock market returns. At the end of June, the plan had $445 million in invested assets and enough money to cover projected obligations for the next 16 years, said Joan Marshall, executive director of the College Savings Plans of Maryland, which oversees the prepaid plan. A year earlier, the plan had assets of $533 million and a $58.9 million surplus.

No sooner had Gov. Martin O'Malley announced that he would be bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in additional budget cuts to the Board of Public Works for approval than the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees held a rally insisting he spare state workers. The union surely won't be the last interest group the governor hears from before he unveils his cuts, expected to total $300 million at Wednesday's board meeting and to be followed by another $400 million this fall.

Maryland colleges are starting to send out fall tuition bills, and signs indicate that more families will struggle to pay. Applications for federal student aid are up. More families are appealing aid packages to get additional assistance. And more parents are being rejected for federal loans. If you are among those who will have trouble meeting the tuition bill, call the school's financial aid office as soon as possible. Aid officers can walk you through your options, from monthly payment programs to potential sources of funds.

Three or four times a week, Nicole Angeli straps on ropes and harnesses and clambers up the 33-foot climbing wall in the Johns Hopkins University recreation center. The 22-year-old senior says her strenuous climbs reduce stress from the demands of classes. But the climbing wall, installed by Hopkins in 2002 at a cost of $100,000, also represents the lengths to which universities go to pamper students - and one reason why college costs have soared in recent years, far outstripping inflation.

Gov. Martin O'Malley charted a course for the state through a national recession yesterday, pledging to protect safety net programs, freeze college tuition and eradicate childhood hunger. The Democratic governor laid out the vision in his third State of the State address before a joint session of the General Assembly, which must approve many of his plans. In a 30-minute speech, O'Malley said he "never felt more energized" despite bleak economic times, and repeatedly invoked President Barack Obama's name, drawing applause in the overwhelmingly Democratic legislature.

The Columbia Art Center will offer "Culinary Kids for Ages 9-12," a hands-on cooking class that teaches children science, math, nutrition, creativity and kitchen safety while they prepare delicious food. Nikki McGowan, owner of Culinary Kids Cooking School LLC, will teach the course. Chefs' hats and aprons are provided. Classes meet from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays, Feb. 23 through March 30, at the Columbia Art Center, 6100 Foreland Garth. Tuition is $120 for Columbia residents; $130 for nonresidents.

Maryland's community colleges are bracing for budget cuts from state and county governments, and educators are worried that tuitions might rise at a time when deteriorating economic conditions are driving more students to the traditionally affordable two-year campuses. Depending on the extent of the belt-tightening, the colleges could respond by increasing tuition or class size, or reducing the number of courses offered at a time of growing student demand, officials said. "This would be a very unfortunate time to cut funding to community colleges, because now is when people are turning to us as a lower-cost alternative to getting started in higher education," said Clay Whitlow, executive director of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges.

The pinch of rising food, fuel and other costs is driving more families with children in private and parochial schools to request financial aid, school officials in and around Baltimore say. With price tags that can rival tuition costs at four-year universities, it's no surprise that many families seek financial aid when first applying to a private school. But that's not the population with the greatest rise in requests, schools say. "There are people applying to financial aid who never needed it before," said Matthew Micciche, the head of Friends School of Baltimore.

Rising prices and an uncertain job market are taking a toll on families struggling to pay for higher education. The tough economic times are reflected in the number of Maryland students applying for financial aid, which jumped 19 percent overall during the first six months of this year. Affordability is a big issue in the choice of which school to attend, and many students are settling on nearby state colleges and universities where tuition and living costs are lower. At the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, for example, the freshman class is about 100 students larger this year than last; tuition there is less than half that of a comparable private university.

The University System of Maryland regents voted yesterday to freeze tuition levels for in-state, undergraduate students during the 2008-2009 academic year, but some fees, including room and board, will continue to rise. The decision marks the third consecutive year that the board has held down tuition fees. Full-time and part-time undergraduate, in-state students will continue to pay the same amount for tuition in 2009. However, part-time and full-time out-of-state students and graduate students will not benefit from the regents vote.