To the editor:

I recently attended a talk by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius at the spring meeting of the Kansas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in Topeka. She addressed one aspect of her gaming proposal that I find very appealing. The governor proposes to take a portion of the proceeds of gambling revenues to augment both the existing need-based comprehensive grant and state scholarship programs.

She also proposes to target some of the money to a new merit-based state scholarship. Together, the governor proposes to provide more than double the current funding for state grants and scholarships by fiscal year 2008. There would be enough additional money to allow the grants and scholarships to be awarded to students at two-year community colleges as well as four-year colleges and universities in Kansas.

I believe that increasing these aid programs will help Kansas colleges and universities keep the best and brightest Kansas high school graduates in Kansas. More aid for our neediest students also will ensure that both private and public educational opportunities can be considered.

Chris Johnson,

Lawrence