Two of the big, unrealized policy ideas of the 1990s were to link college aid to national and community service, and to expand America's "ownership class" by staking every newborn American to a piece of the rock with a small but ever-accumulating personal savings account. The first idea was relentlessly pursued by the DLC and PPI, modestly implemented in President Clinton's AmeriCorps initiative, and proposed in a more robust form by DLC Chairman Sen. Evan Bayh and Republican Sen. John McCain, and most recently by presidential candidate John Kerry. The second idea was best reflected in former Sen. Bob Kerrey's "Kid Save" proposal for putting the power of compound interest at the disposal of every American family.

Now Kentucky's New Democrat Treasurer, Jonathan Miller, and a Republican colleague, Secretary of State Trey Grayson, have found a way to combine these two big ideas. Earlier this week they unveiled a "Cradle to College" proposal that would give every child in Kentucky a start on saving for college, but would also require beneficiaries to perform at least one year of military or civilian service before drawing down the money. More specifically, they formed a commission to refine the idea, identify long-term financing options, and engage other Kentucky policymakers in their efforts to make college more affordable while promoting an ethic of service and mutual responsibility.

As Miller and Grayson explained the initiative: "Children born in Kentucky would be provided a college savings account on the day of their birth. Ideally, the account would be funded so that families could afford a community or technical college education. Parents and grandparents could then supplement these funds by making monthly or lump-sum payments, to guarantee that tuition will be available at a four-year college." But because they believe in providing "a hand up, not a hand out," Miller and Grayson further propose that "every high school senior who wishes to cash in his or her account to attend college must first provide a year of full-time community or military service in Kentucky." They also suggest incentives to address a chronic state "brain drain" by encouraging Cradle to College beneficiaries to stay in Kentucky following college, especially those willing to "pursue lower-paying but socially beneficial professions, such as teaching, law enforcement, social work and the military."

This is not Miller's first big proposal for making college more affordable in Kentucky. He was the founder of Kentucky's prepaid tuition program, which gives parents a way to save for their kids' college costs while avoiding tuition increases. His partnership with Grayson is natural: Miller once taught a government class at Harvard University that Grayson attended. As they said in their joint statement announcing Cradle to College: "Seemingly intractable problems require bipartisan cooperation and intense public involvement."

Rising college costs, rural "brain drains," shortages in critical professions, and a growing military manpower gap are challenges that extend far beyond Kentucky's borders. Indeed, the Progressive Policy Institute's Paul Weinstein has made a similar proposal at the national level, which would link lifelong college savings to a service obligation. Until such time as we have a national leadership willing to act on these proposals we encourage other state leaders to take a close look at Cradle to College, and the big ideas it reflects.