On the heels of a $12 billion cut to funding for federal student
loan programs, Congress is again looking to education as one area
to make up the federal deficit and channel money into other
programs.
The U.S. House of Representatives is currently discussing
President Bush’s budget proposal, which would seek to heal
the ailing budget and provide additional funding for the Department
of Defense but would also cut funding for some education
programs.
The administration’s proposed budget for the 2007 fiscal
year would include cuts to education in the amount of $3.5 billion,
$893.1 million of that coming from higher education funding.
This equals a total of 42 education programs, for primary,
secondary and higher education, and if passed would represent the
biggest cut to education that has occurred.
If approved by the House, the budget will then go to the Senate.
The next fiscal year’s budget is expected to be finalized
toward the end of this month.
Key programs in higher education that face extinction include
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, a
grant program designed to increase the number of low-income
students who are prepared to go to college; Upward Bound, which
aims to improve students’ pre-college and ultimately higher
education performances; and the Perkins Loan, a low-interest loan
for students with financial need.
The federal deficit currently amounts to trillions of dollars.
Some supporters of the budget argued in Congress on Thursday that
spending on defense and tax cuts, which are both included in the
proposal, will spur economic growth and improve the national
economy.
Supporters also emphasized the importance of defense in and of
itself ““ the Department of Defense will see a 7 percent
increase in funding if the budget passes as is, as well as $50
billion to be spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But, as they have done in response to cut after cut on both the
state and the federal level, some students continue to argue that
the government must continue to fund education.
“Funding higher education access should be a
no-brainer,” said Mark Weber, chairman for the Legislative
Affairs Committee of the California State Student Association.
Loans are a major area where students say they have felt the
impact of the federal cuts.
“There are too many students taking loans and increasing
their loan burden. The federal government hasn’t let the Pell
Grant … rise with the cost of education and that’s a big
problem,” said Laura Kerr, director of governmental affairs
of California State Student Association.
Students are making the same criticism again, planning to lobby
against the proposed budget.
“We cannot passively watch as Congress takes a leap
backward to close the door on students,” said Anu Joshi, UC
Students Association president.
UCSA Organizing Director Ruth Obel-Jorgensen said about half of
UC students are on financial aid.
Because of February’s cuts, students had to take out an
additional $530 in loans, Joshi said.
If the current budget proposal is passed, students are concerned
the debt may become higher ““ and some have seen the mounting
cuts to education as a signal of the administration’s
priorities.
“I think anytime you look at budget decisions, it reflects
the priorities of people in office, and higher education is clearly
not a priority right now,” Kerr said.
With reports from Bruin wire services.