In a recent presentation to the board of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, staff members outlined a plan to forgive up to $6-million worth of loans for thousands of college freshmen in the 2006-7 academic year and to begin a new loan-forgiveness program for engineering students the following year.

Critics of the state governor’s plan to sell part of the loan authority’s assets to raise $350-million for campus construction projects fear that such generous forgiveness programs might be cut if the board adopts the plan (The Chronicle, August 29). Officials of the loan authority, however, have told the Associated Press that students would continue to receive all their current benefits, regardless. They say the money in Gov. Matt Blunt’s plan probably would not have gone for loan-forgiveness programs anyway, but rather for the purchase of more student loans.

The board is to consider Governor Blunt’s plan next week. The board delayed a previously scheduled vote because of warnings from the state’s attorney general that approval of the deal could lead to lawsuits (The Chronicle, September 9).