Proposed Budget Cut for USOEC Scholarship

President Obama wants to eliminate an Olympic scholarship from his proposed budget.

The cut would jeopardize the education of aspiring athletes at the U.S. Olympic Education Center.

In his budget proposal to Congress, the President cut the $1-million B.J. Stupak Olympic Scholarship.

USOEC director Jeff Kleinschmidt says the money helps 65 Olympic hopefuls at NMU, and nearly 150 others when you include the 3 other Olympic training centers in the U.S.

President Obama says there’s insufficient data to show that scholarship awardees complete college.

Kleinschmidt says it just takes athletes a lot longer to finish.

Once they retire, athletes aren’t eligible for the scholarship.

They may finish at another school and are lost track of.

Kleinschmidt says they’re hoping to track the athletes better.

9 of the last 10 years, the President in office has cut the program, whether it’s been Clinton, Bush or Obama.

But members of Congress have always been able to restore the funding for the scholarship.