California State Student Association executives traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to advocate for affordable tuitions for Cal State University students.
CSSA President Chris Chavez, CSSA Vice President of legislative affairs Gregory Washington and CSSA Vice President of finance Mohammed Shahid Beig implemented a federal advocacy program for tuition after President Barack Obama passed a student loan reform effort in March.
“The recent D.C. trip went very well, although its purpose was to be an information gathering effort,” Chavez said. “I feel confident in saying that we were able to get interest from the congressional offices and educational associations.”
According to the CSSA 2010-11 Policy Agenda, the association’s issues include an advocacy for the removal of taxes on student health care, a preservation of the Maintenance of Effort provision that gives grants to schools under certain qualifications and an implementation of the DREAM Act for undocumented students in college or in the military.
CSSA’s involvement with the federal government is “a fairly new venture,” Chavez said, but the independent organization has committed a significant part of the annual policy agenda to federal issues this year.
“In order to be effective within this political arena, we have committed to both an annual fall and spring trip to Washington, D.C., this year and in perpetuity,” said Miles Nevin, CSSA executive director.
In a recent press release from CSU Public Affairs, the CSU Board of Trustees voted to increase tuition five percent starting in winter 2011.
Chavez said provisions like Maintenance of Effort aren’t fully responsible for eliminating fee increases, but the criteria has prevented the state from cutting its allocation dramatically.
CSSA currently represents 339,873 full-time students in the CSU, but enrollment has increased within the last five years by 25,000 students, according to the CSU executive vice chancellor for business and finance, Dr. Benjamin F. Quillian.
Chavez said students should get involved with these issues in any way possible, like voting for congressional representatives.
“Already, there is a lot of concern about potential cuts to federal Pell grants and financial aid when Congress reconvenes,” Chavez said. “This is completely unacceptable, but if students don’t speak up, they are going to find themselves on the chopping block again.”
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