The Undergraduate Student Government Senate decided to override a veto by USG President Justin Zartman during last night's meeting.

Zartman had vetoed USG's endorsement of the Tuition Challenge Grant, an initiative that attempts to keep tuition increases low. However, after last night, the endorsement stands.

The Tuition Challenge Grant resolution aims to make a portion of Penn State's state funding dependent upon a total increase of tuition and fees of less than 4.5 percent.

"Every year since it's (the Tuition Challenge Grant) been in existence it has worked," said Town Sen. Rick Smith, who chairs the Political Action Lobbying Committee (PALC). "The obvious solution is to have some accountability with state legislators."

However, Zartman said the measure is not good for students, and that is why he vetoed it.

"When I got the resolution I did an investigation because I felt it was important to investigate how this would affect our constituents, and it was evident that the Tuition Challenge Grant is simply political rhetoric to combat the fact that higher education is not a priority in Pennsylvania," Zartman said.

Town Sen. T.J. Kokolis supported the resolution to have the tuition grant provision because he said it would save both students and the state money.

Town Sen. Jason Covener agreed with Kokolis.

Covener said he wanted to censure Zartman for his veto of the measure by censoring him, as the senate did last semester, but decided against it.

"If you are voting against this override, you are voting against what is not only the best but most likely the only chance we have to halt a generation of tuition increases," Covener said.

However, Zartman disagreed, saying the Tuition Challenge Grant alienates certain student groups. Zartman also expressed concern that the measure could cause unfavorable student-staff ratios and increase tuition for out-of-state and graduate students.

Town Sen. Rob Michaels believes the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments President Kristopher Ankarlo and Zartman, both of who compiled a report about the Tuition Challenge Grant's negative effects on students, of being more in tune with the administration than with their constituents.

"I have spoken to no undergraduate here who doesn't think this is a good idea. The only person I can possibly think of who doesn't like this are those with an office in Old Main," Michaels said.