Student PIRGs address student aid cuts at BSU

Student Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) are establishing a presence on Boise State campus this week as the U.S. Senate votes on a budget reconciliation bill Thursday that would cut federal student aid programs by $14.3 billion dollars, according to www.studentpirgs.org and Blair Anundson of the Washington State Student PIRG at Evergreen State College

The House of Representatives will vote on the issue next week.

Anundson said he is at BSU this week to encourage students to become more aware of the issues and help form a diverse coalition campus groups to hold Congress accountable in terms of student aid reform.

Wednesday was student PIRG’s “National Day of Action to Stop the Raid on Student Aid.”

Student PIRGs are state-based student organizations that face societal problems, take action and win concrete changes that improve quality of life, according to www.studentpirgs.org. Student PIRGs are based off of state PIRGs that are not specific to students, but citizens in general. According to Anundson, student PIRGs included half a million college students nationwide. Anundson said the state-based student groups focus on three issues: the environment, consumer issues, and student issues.

Although there is not a PIRG or student PIRG in Idaho, Anundson said he has noticed interest. According to Anundson, the BSU chapters of BGLAD (Bisexuals, Gays, Lesbians and Allies for Diversity), IPSA (Idaho Progressive Student Alliance) and College Republicans have joined the campaign at BSU this week. Anundson said he is working on getting minority organizations and other political groups involved.

“It’s something all college students should be getting behind,” said Amy Salisbury, president of IPSA. “This is a time when we need to stand up and say we deserve to have an education.”

Almost two-thirds of four-year college graduates have student loans, an increase of 60 percent in seven years, according to Anundson.

Higher education has been an important issue to PIRG since its founding 30 years ago by Ralph Nadar, Anundson said.

“We’ve stepped up our interest since the current attacks on student aid,” Anundson said.

Over the last year, tuition at four-year public institutions has increased 10.5 percent, tuition at community colleges has increased 8.7 percent and tuition at four-year private institutions has increased six percent, according to Anundson.

Grants are also decreasing, according to Anundson, and the federal Pell Grant program is worth about half of what it was 30 years ago.

“The amount of loan debt for four-year college graduates is an average of $20,000,” Anundson said.

Anundson tabled on the BSU quad Wednesday to promote a national student yearbook, the “Student Debt Yearbook,” a publication to document student debt cases to persuade Congress.

Anundson said he is also concerned about loan repayment periods that are becoming 20 to 30 year periods.

“The consequence is that eligible college students won’t able to attend school,” Anundson said.

Anundson said when the economy suffers, the country needs an educated workforce, and the new bill would greatly effect the resource of college graduates. Anundson said he was concerned that the large amount of debt college students are facing causes students to work only to make ends meet.

Involvement in athletics and student activities also suffer due to a lack of student aid because students are spending all of their time working to pay for school, according to Anundson.

He said grad point average also tends to slip.

“[Students] can’t make the kind of career choices they want to make,” Anundson said.

He said students who are interested in social service jobs such as nursing, counseling and working for non-profit organizations may not choose these jobs because they don’t provide enough to pay off their student loans.

Anundson said student PIRG’s goals are to link loan repayment to income after college to reduce the financial burden, expand grant aid (especially federal aid), expand loan refinancing options and create a loan forgiveness program for people who go into social service professionals.

More information about student PIRGs is available at www.studentpirgs.com.

Sara Bahnson / News Editor

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