The Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate rejected plans this week to lobby for a program that limits resident tuition increases to 4.5 percent and to lobby for state appropriations.

Based on the Tuition Challenge Grant (TCG), the lobbying platform was considered "controversial" by several senators. The 2001-2002 USG Senate was officially in favor of the TCG. Pennsylvania enacted the program in 1993. It was discontinued in 1996 due to state budgetary concerns.

The program offered an additional $100 to $200 for each in-state student if the university promised to keep tuition increases at or below 4.5 percent.

Penn State President Graham Spanier said in an e-mail that the state's lack of funds are continually shifting the burden of funding of higher education toward the student, making a revival of the TCG unlikely.

"I don't see the likelihood in the near future that would allow the state to provide sufficient funding increases to Penn State to allow for a challenge grant program to work," Spanier said.

Opponents of the program say the TCG forces out-of-state tuition higher. From fall 1993 to 1995, when TCG was in effect, in-state tuition increases were at or below 4.5 percent, while out-of-state tuition was at or below 5.5 percent. When the program was enacted for one academic year in 1989, in-state tuition increased by four percent and out-of-state tuition rose 9 percent.

Critics also say the program forces administration to make academic cuts in order to keep tuition increases low.

The legislation the Senate passed this week repealed the group's TCG platform but established a committee to compile data on the program. If the Senate remained with the TCG platform, they could have later rejected the program after further examining it.

Town Sen. Erica D'Eramo said the Senate "could lose [credibility] with the state if we just do a 180" by rejecting the program later next fall.

Town Sen. Brian Battaglia said it would be fine to reject the TCG later, but the Senate needs a plan now.

The Senate voted 17-6-1 to repeal the TCG platform as the Senate's official stance and to establish the committee.

At the same meeting, the Senate rejected legislation that would organize lobbying trips. That resolution failed by a 6-18-0 vote.

Battaglia said the Senate should commit to lobbying now, "so we don't have a year like in past years where things haven't gotten done."

Events during the last year created a negative public opinion of USG's lobbying efforts, South Halls Sen. Andy Banducci said. "I think it's necessary to restore [our] reputation," Banducci added.

But some senators did not feel comfortable with the legislation's order for lobbying trips at least once a month.

"We're not just gonna go as many times as we can just to say we did," Mike Yohannan, the Senate's newly elected governmental relations coordinator, said. "We're gonna go when we're ready to go."

Town Sen. Bill Knauss said monthly lobbying would mean certain senators would be forced to miss at least one day of class each month, which is a heavy burden.