Save Cal Grants: Protect UCLA Diversity and Experience
- by: Financial Supports Commission and Academic Affairs Commission of USAC
- recipient: UCLA Faculty and Administration
Faculty voice is powerful and can be vital for legislative change.
Cal Grants have offered support to more than 7,000 students on an annual basis. These grants provide students from underprivileged backgrounds the opportunity to attain higher education by minimizing their financial burden.
Last month, Governor Schwarzenegger proposed completely eliminating Cal Grants that provides financial aid to over 300,000 low-income California college students. Without Cal Grants, California would be betraying its responsibility to providing an education to the state's children and grandchildren who were promised the prospect of affordable education. Eliminating Cal Grants would simply push California%u2019s current economic problems to future generations. Furthermore, the Master Plan of Higher Education of the State of California says that the state will provide a tuition free education to its college students. Of course, such a goal has not been a reality for years, and this proposal by the Governor would only further set the state back in reaching this goal. Fortunately, Democratic legislators, after being pressured by the voters who put them in office, vowed this month to keep Cal Grants in the budget. However, Arnold Schwarzenegger is unlikely to give up on his efforts to eliminate Cal Grants from the budget. The governor will likely line item veto Cal Grants. Two thirds of the legislature is required to overturn such a line item veto, a demand that we currently do not have the support for. We need mobilization and support from everyone to ensure that Cal Grants continue to serve the educational needs of our state%u2019s students.
If students lose this aid during a time when the loan market is becoming increasingly exclusive, many will not be able to continue their education. Countless more will never even be able to begin it. One estimate places the reduction in enrollment at around 250,000 students statewide.
Such a drastic change in financial support would dramatically alter the demographics of UCLA, changing the value of our education and personal experiences. UCLA Director of Financial Aid, Ron Johnson revealed that such a decision would redirect funds and would also impact the middle class, which would lose financial support such as university grants in exchange for loans and more burdensome means of financing education.
With a 9% increase to student fees, we are already endangering the student experience. We need support to limit the pressures we add to students. To protect UCLA diversity, engagement, and service, we need Cal Grants.
By signing this position, you, as a faculty member and member of the Bruin family are acknowledging the negative impact of the elimination of Cal Grants and demonstrating active support for the approval of the Cal Grants line item in the upcoming budget.
Faculty voice is powerful and can be vital for legislative change.
Cal Grants have offered support to more than 7,000 students on an annual basis. These grants provide students from underprivileged backgrounds the opportunity to attain higher education by minimizing their financial burden.
Last month, Governor Schwarzenegger proposed completely eliminating Cal Grants that provides financial aid to over 300,000 low-income California college students. Without Cal Grants, California would be betraying its responsibility to providing an education to the state's children and grandchildren who were promised the prospect of affordable education. Eliminating Cal Grants would simply push California%u2019s current economic problems to future generations. Furthermore, the Master Plan of Higher Education of the State of California says that the state will provide a tuition free education to its college students. Of course, such a goal has not been a reality for years, and this proposal by the Governor would only further set the state back in reaching this goal. Fortunately, Democratic legislators, after being pressured by the voters who put them in office, vowed this month to keep Cal Grants in the budget. However, Arnold Schwarzenegger is unlikely to give up on his efforts to eliminate Cal Grants from the budget. The governor will likely line item veto Cal Grants. Two thirds of the legislature is required to overturn such a line item veto, a demand that we currently do not have the support for. We need mobilization and support from everyone to ensure that Cal Grants continue to serve the educational needs of our state%u2019s students.
If students lose this aid during a time when the loan market is becoming increasingly exclusive, many will not be able to continue their education. Countless more will never even be able to begin it. One estimate places the reduction in enrollment at around 250,000 students statewide.
Such a drastic change in financial support would dramatically alter the demographics of UCLA, changing the value of our education and personal experiences. UCLA Director of Financial Aid, Ron Johnson revealed that such a decision would redirect funds and would also impact the middle class, which would lose financial support such as university grants in exchange for loans and more burdensome means of financing education.
With a 9% increase to student fees, we are already endangering the student experience. We need support to limit the pressures we add to students. To protect UCLA diversity, engagement, and service, we need Cal Grants.
By signing this position, you, as a faculty member and member of the Bruin family are acknowledging the negative impact of the elimination of Cal Grants and demonstrating active support for the approval of the Cal Grants line item in the upcoming budget.
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