Campus Progress Statement on National Day of Action for Higher Education
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2010
Contact: Katie Andriulli
(202) 481-8238 or kandriulli@americanprogress.org.
Campus Progress Statement: Students Need College Aid, Not Budget Cuts
Washington, DC — Today, students from across the country are participating in a national day of action to protest budget cuts to higher education and tuition hikes, and lobby for increased student aid. Pedro de la Torre III, Campus Progress’s Advocacy Senior Associate, released the following statement:
“Today students are taking bold action to highlight the crisis in college affordability and access. We can no longer afford to ignore our shortcomings in these areas: the average student debt for graduates has reached more than $23,000, and at least 37 states are slashing higher education budgets which will lead to increasing tuition and less student aid.
“State legislatures, college administrators and Congress have a responsibility to the next generation to find solutions to this crisis. The Senate, for example, should pass legislation modeled after the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which would cut wasteful subsidies to student loan companies and use the $87 billion in savings to increase Pell grants, invest in community colleges and minority serving institutions, and fund modernization and repair programs on campuses. Campus Progress has launched a campaign, Students Over Banks, to support reform efforts and combat a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign by student lenders to kill or weaken reform.
“Congress should also consider ways that it could support institutions of higher education facing state budget cuts. Congress provided significant support for education under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, but this support will expire next year. Despite the tuition hikes, enrollment caps, cuts to state student aid, lay-offs, wage cuts, furloughs, and other problems we have seen on college campuses, the situation could become even more dire without continuing federal support.
“A few months ago, protesting students across California sent a powerful message to their college administrators and the California legislature that the college affordability crisis can no longer be ignored. By joining with them today, thousands of students across the country are taking a stand and telling decision-makers that it’s time to start listening.”
Campus Progress is urging people to contact their federal and state elected officials in solidarity with students by visiting http://campusprogress.org/march4th, and by participating in rallies and other events in their communities. Campus Progress also held an event about student organizing for college affordability in December featuring Congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY); Victor Sanchez, president of the University of California Student Association; Bruce Cain, executive director of the University of California Washington Center; Angus Johnston, a historian of student social movements; and Pedro de la Torre III, Advocacy Senior Associate for Campus Progress. You can view video of the event here.
For more information, or to speak to a Campus Progress spokeperson, please contact Katie Andriulli at (202) 481-8238 or kandriulli@americanprogress.org.
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Campus Progress is the youth division of the Center for American Progress, a nonpartisan, nonprofit progressive organization. Through programs in activism, journalism, and events, Campus Progress helps young people make their voices heard now on issues that matter, and works with young leaders and organizations nationwide to build a strong, united progressive movement that can bring long-term positive change. Campus Progress runs a daily web magazine, CampusProgress.org; supports student publications on 50 campuses; supports local and national youth issue campaigns; and has held over 700 events and film screenings. For more information, please visit Campusprogress.org.
