Advocacy groups use drinking to promote tuition aid awareness

Students asked for money while sipping on free drinks last night.

Three advocacy groups —… Students asked for money while sipping on free drinks last night.

Three advocacy groups — Campus Progress, the United States Student Association and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group — hosted an event called “Tuition on the Rocks” at the Union Grill on South Craig Street. They asked students to press Pennsylvania’s senators Bob Casey and Arlen Specter to support the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act.

About 40 people came to sign a petition to have the act passed. After signing the petition, each attendee got a ticket for a free drink. A group of students plan to go to Casey’s office Downtown tomorrow to deliver the signed petition.

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, if passed, is predicted to save $87 billion over 10 years by allowing the government to give students grants and loans without having to work through banks.

Pedro de la Torre III, the issues and organizing associate manager for Campus Progress, said the act already passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Senate plans to discuss it after health care reform.

“That’s why we’re pressing the senators,” de la Torre said. “The banks act as middlemen when giving money to students. If the government lends right to students, it’s a lot cheaper, and there is less corruption involved.”

Vincent Villano, an events associate for Campus Progress, said the groups “thought [the event] would be especially timely with regards to the whole tuition tax incident.”

Dan Jimenez, president of Pitt’s Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, spoke at the event. He focused largely on Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s proposed 1 percent tuition tax, which was withdrawn last month.

“We need to go into the offices and meet senators and government officials and build relationships if we want to see progress,” Jimenez said.