The president of Rowan University wants to help more New Jersey college students get state Tuition Aid Grants that provide thousands of dollars a year to help pay for college.
But to do that , Ali Houshmand says the state must change the way it funds the program, which now gives students who attend private colleges more money than students who attend public colleges, a system he calls unfair.
Under the current system, the amount of the grant fluctuates based on the cost of the college. So a student eligible for the maximum award would receive about $8,000 a year to attend Rowan, but more than $12,000 if they chose a private college like Rider, Princeton, or Monmouth University.
Stockton University had 2,034 students receive $9.3 million in TAG funds. The private Bloomfield College, St. Peters University and Seton Hall University, each had just over 1,100 students receive grants, and each got $9.5 million in funds.