Today we need to pay attention. And not only because of the
inauguration of the 55th U.S. president. All college students
should take note because George W. Bush has made some big promises
to us.
Last Sunday, for instance, when Bush addressed students at
Florida Community College in Jacksonville, he explained that as a
nation, “We have a duty to continue to make sure every child
is educated in this country,” and promised he would
“work with Congress to get some positive initiatives
passed.” It sounds good, but will Bush deliver?
Judging from what we’ve seen so far, it’s highly
doubtful. Currently, Bush says that during his second term he would
like to increase the maximum Pell Grant award by $100 every year
for a total of five years. This move would raise the maximum award
to $4,550 by 2010. He also plans to allocate $33 billion for
“enhanced Pell Grants.”
And Bush wants to reform the Workforce Investment Act, meant to
offer job training and preparation systems in accordance with
business standards, to include twice its current level of 200,000
people.
It sounds great, in theory. The president is clearly taking
bolder steps than those of his first term in office ““ when
college students were practically ignored and No Child Left Behind
lagged steadily toward failure.
Still, these lame efforts aren’t enough. Besides,
Bush’s supposed solutions are too risky, careless and,
overall, far from what students deserve. First of all, college
students have been promised something ““ and they
haven’t gotten it.
In 2000, Bush said that he would add over $1,000 to general Pell
Grant awards. I’m still waiting. Now we’re getting
$500, at best, which is less than half what he originally promised.
Worse, tuition costs have gone way up in the past couple years
““ and Pell Grants haven’t matched them. In fact, since
Bush’s first inauguration in 2001, college tuition has gone
up 35 percent. In 2003 alone, college tuition has increased in 49
out of 50 states.
Depressing to say, that’s not all. Our president also
managed to weaken financial aid by decreasing general eligibility
and maximum years available for the Pell Grant. The end result
looks pretty bleak.
While at one point Pell Grants “covered almost all the
cost of education,” Daniel Kaufman, a spokesman for the
National Education Association told the Daily Bruin, they have not
“kept pace” with the recent tuition explosions.
Secondly, there’s a major issue with money ““ namely
that there isn’t any. Similar to the fiasco surrounding No
Child Left Behind a few years ago, Bush’s WIA and Pell Grant
programs seem overblown at the same time as they look under-funded.
“My first instinct is to say “˜show me the
money,'” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) in regard
to Bush’s education agenda, as reported by The Seattle
Times.
Similarly, I have some questions of my own. I’m wondering
how Bush plans to boost job training under WIA without any
additional funds. Moreover, how will an extra $500 for maximum Pell
Grant awards adequately aid low-income students next year? But I
suppose the biggest question remains: How can we know that these
next four years will be better for students across America?
We don’t know. And that’s the problem.
While certainly not a reason to rejoice, this column also
isn’t meant to anger or dishearten. There’s always the
more optimistic perspective to bear in mind and perhaps, in such a
case, we can make small (but important) changes.
Money is always a major issue. The president claims that he
wants to “work with Congress to get some positive initiatives
passed.” But how will these initiatives pan out in the
long-term? And how will they be funded and supported? We
don’t want another No Child Left Behind, so we must not lapse
into apathy.
Students can (and should) voice their concerns about lack of
funding and resources. Get involved in an advocacy group, on or off
campus. And make sure your representatives know that we’re
not receiving all we deserve.
Secondly, I urge you to support schoolwide efforts. True,
we’re not receiving the aid we need, and that really needs to
change. But realistically, it’s a lot easier said than done.
That’s why the UCLA campus is a good jumping-off point. We
must begin by building up our campus community and mobilizing
ourselves for small improvements ““ whether that means
lowering the cost of textbooks or supporting vital resources such
as the Academic Advancement Program and Covel Commons Tutoring.
Ultimately, we have to wonder what to expect for the next four
years. It’s difficult to guess. But, at our current rate,
I’m worried ““ and, judging from the remarks of
Congressman Miller, I know I’m not alone.
Therefore, I do hope my fellow students voice their individual
and collective concerns. This isn’t just about today. And
it’s not just about tomorrow. It’s about the many, many
years ahead of us.
Fried is a second-year history student. E-mail her at
ifried@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to
viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.