Bright red, blue and yellow balloons spotted the Cal and Pell Grant rally on Thursday, representing students’ worries of the possibility of the program’s elimination.
“We’re getting over our worries (and) starting to act in favor of education,” said Christopher Santos, the Undergraduate Students Association Council’s committee chair, as 40 students excitedly popped their balloons at Meyerhoff Park.
Governor Schwarzenegger proposed to eliminate the Cal Grant program last May, but the proposal was rejected by a 6-to-4 vote.
This week, USAC called attention to the possible elimination of Cal and Pell Grants in a week-long campaign called Education Makes Cents.
The week started off with fliering on Monday and a teach-in on Tuesday to inform students about the budget crisis and USAC’s proposed solution. On Wednesday, USAC called legislators to voice student concerns, and the week ended with a press conference on Thursday.
“The purpose of this rally is to educate and make our week of action visible to the UCLA community,” said Cinthia Flores, USAC president.
Students are drafting legislation to make Cal Grants mandatory in the state budget, and USAC hopes to get Senator Fran Pavley, L.A.’s district representative, to sponsor a bill for the Senate. It also hopes to encourage Senator Denise Ducheny to authorize the bill, said Susan Li, the external vice president for USAC, who added that students have collected petitions and had a call-in on Thursday.
As for Pell Grants, a bill has already been introduced ““ the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act ““ and USAC wants support from Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, Santos said.
SAFRA will increase funding for Pell Grants by $40 billion. Currently, Pell Grants cover 35 percent of education costs, instead of the 80 percent the program guaranteed when it was first introduced.
The press conference also included student testimonials to create awareness of the Cal Grants on a personal level.
“Cutting financial aid is like cutting legs from under us,” said Miles Goodloe, a third-year political science student. He said that students from the 1960s paid $0 for student fees, while now, students pay $26,000 for the same education.
The UC Board of Regents will meet this month to discuss the possibility of a 15 percent fee increase for fall 2010.
As a result, Flores and Li are organizing a week of education prior to the Board’s meeting to inform students of the importance of the vote. Student reactions regarding the rally were mixed.
“To be honest, this applies to everyone,” said Steven Quan, a second-year biology student. “The presence we had was not adequate. I feel like more people should be aware.”
Li said she likes the continuation of their campaign and the enthusiasm of students during the rally.
The rally ended with a chant ““ “Students united, will never be defeated” ““ and a unity clap.