Last night, a crowd of about fifty students packed into a dimly-lit terrace at Zola New World Bistro. Behind them stood a larger-than-life check, bearing the straightforward message: "US Congress - $87,000,000 - Pay to the Order of America's Students."
These students inside the restaurant, 324 W. College Ave, were there for "Tuition on the Rocks: Happy Hour for Student Aid Reform"--one of a series of events being held across Pennsylvania in support of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act.
The events are part of a nationwide effort by Campus Progress and several similar organizations. University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) Governmental Affairs Chairwoman Colleen Smith spearheaded the campaign locally.
UPUA President Gavin Keirans, one of the speakers at the event, pointed out more than 25 percent of Penn State students come from families with annual incomes of less than $40,000 and about 75 percent depend on some means of financial assistance for their education.
"Penn State was not built around the idea of providing for the elite, but rather founded on the principles of a land grant institution, providing quality education to the working and middle class," Keirans (senior-business management) said.
Everyone in attendance was asked to sign a petition in support of the act's plans to switch to a system of direct federal lending, strengthen Pell Grants, and invest in additional education initiatives. According to supporters, the money saved in the switch to direct federal loans will pay for the legislation itself.
This morning at 10:30., under the direction of several Campus Progress leaders, a group of students will personally deliver the petition to Senator Bob Casey's Bellefonte office.
Pedro de la Torre, advocacy senior associate with Campus Progress, also noted that the issue is especially pertinent at Penn State.
"It's important for all students, but especially for Pennsylvania in particular," de la Torre said. "We don't know where either senator stands in Pennsylvania and know where they're under an extreme amount of pressure from [special interests] to vote against real reform."
After the event, Smith (sophomore-biology) said she was satisfied with the effects it had on her peers.
"This was a great opportunity to make an impact on Pennsylvania senators and
senators across the country," she
said.
