The Daily Campus

Issue date: 10/27/05 Section: News

Media Credit: Erin Mizla USG Vice President Aaron Burton (left), Comptroller Suzanne Roosen (middle) and Funding Board Chair Mike McKiernan look on at Wednesday´s senate meeting.

After a heated debate that included three senators walking out in a middle of vote, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) passed a resolution in Wednesday's meeting to advocate federal financial aid assistance and announced they would take further steps to support their constituents who depend on it.

This comes after the House Education and Workforce Committee passed a cut to $15.6 billion in federal student aid programs - the largest cut to student aid programs in U.S. history, according to the External Affairs Chair Sen. John Jevitts.

Jevitts said the cuts pose a great concern and students seeking higher education, when already a vast majority depend on federal help to attend college - approximately 75 percent of students who receive financial assistance do so from federal aid.

The bill would affect the large proportion of the student population limiting the opportunity for higher education, Jevitts said.

Jevitts wanted to push the issue to the senate to seek support to back up their constituents.

"Many of us in this room rely on [student aid]," said USG Vice President Aaron Burton. "I'm sure at least one person would not be here without the help of grants and loans."

If the trends of rising costs and additional slashing of aid continue, Jevitts said it would "defeat the purpose of a public institution."

According to a press release from the State PIRG's Higher Education Project, the 2006 fiscal year budget passed in April mandated $35 billion in cuts to mandatory spending programs and $70 billion in new tax cuts.

The House Education and Workforce Committee received instruction to cut $12.65 billion in spending over the next six years, according to the press release. This summer, the committee began to slash aid by raising interest rates and borrower benefits for students.

The committee originally planned an $8.7 billion cut, but due to disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, the committee ruled in favor of slashing $15.6 billion in student aid.

Continued...

Page 1 of 3 next >

Article Tools