Student leaders vowed to continue fighting for inclusion in Gov. Ed Rendell's proposed Pennsylvania Tuition Relief Act, though the governor announced the federal government's stimulus package would restore the cut in appropriations to Penn State.
"We've gotten into Harrisburg's head, and they are actively working toward our interests," said Samantha Miller, University Park Undergraduate Association's (UPUA) Governmental Affairs chairwoman. "Yes, it's a step in the right direction, but we need to continue our efforts."
That direction might lead the student leaders to other parts of the state. Last month, they held a joint rally in Philadelphia at Temple University, another state-related institution excluded from the act.
"The next step is to head to Lincoln, to head to Pitt, to Harrisburg and get meetings," UPUA President Gavin Keirans said. "It's not a political issue, but a student issue, in that it's dealing with students having the ability to attend the top-notch higher education institutions in Pennsylvania."
Keirans said student leaders are in talks to take their "grassroots campaign" to "different corners of the state," at the other two state-related institutions, Lincoln University and the University of Pittsburgh.
As the ongoing tuition saga continues, Miller (junior-political science) said the announcement the state will give $42 million in stimulus money to Pennsylvania state-related universities was the "start of a victory" and that it was "part of the battle that we didn't expect to come through in our favor."
Still, those universities will be left out of the proposed Tuition Relief Act.
Through the legalization of video poker, the act would provide up to $7,600 in aid to students whose families earn up to $100,000 annually. Penn State and other state-related institutions are excluded from the act.
Keirans (junior-business management) noted about 31,000 Penn State students would qualify for the aid. Rendell's Deputy Director of Communications Barry Ciccocioppo said Rendell was "open to other legislature ideas," and noted the significance of Monday's developments regarding the appropriations.
"Providing an additional $20.3 million to Penn State will help avoid tuition increases, which will obviously help make it more affordable for Penn State students," Ciccocioppo said. "[Rendell] didn't want to make the budget cuts in the first place."
To some extent, Keirans agreed.
"It's definitely a good first step," Keirans said. "But now more than ever there's a clear need to focus on the Tuition Relief Act and Penn State's inclusion in it."
President of the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments George Khoury said he was both "surprised" and "happy" upon hearing the news about the stimulus money.
"It seems like the governor is reacting to all the negative sentiments to his proposal so far," Khoury (senior-chemical engineering) said. "It's admirable that he's actually taking students into consideration. It's obvious that the money from the federal government is quickly being put to use, and I'm glad it's being put to use at Penn State."
Khoury and the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments will continue helping in the fight for inclusion in the proposed Tuition Relief Act on March 18 at Rally in the Rotunda.
