Pitt Alumn encourages SGB to focus on students’ needs

My name is Keith Campbell, a Student Government Board member in 1995-1996. When I assumed my… My name is Keith Campbell, a Student Government Board member in 1995-1996. When I assumed my board position and my role as liaison to the Governmental Relations Committee in 1995, the United States Congress proposed the largest cuts to student financial aid in history. Pell Grants, Perkins Loans, and even subsidized Stafford loans were all on the chopping block. Moreover, cuts to state aid in Harrisburg caused tuition to outpace inflation.

That summer, I strategized with the staff of the United States Student Association (USSA) on plans to restore billions of dollars in student aid. U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) served as chair of the Appropriations subcommittee that handled educational funding. We lobbied Specter and his staff intensively, and formed alliances with student governments from Penn State and Temple Universities to advocate for educational funding on state and federal levels.

Our membership in the USSA was restored in 1995 after a five-year hiatus over philosophical differences about the Persian Gulf War. I led the drive to restore our membership because the students’ financial interests were being threatened. We joined USSA with full knowledge of the more progressive planks of the organization’s platform, and some concern that the group may lose its focus from the larger issues. But the USSA staff, and our fellow members nationwide, proved themselves to be strong partners in the effort to fight the cuts to aid … and they never lost focus on the most pervasive issue — educational funding!

This year’s Board has come to somewhat different conclusions regarding USSA. Although I disagree with board’s decision, I must respect the conclusion. It appears, however, that the same issues are resurfacing today in Washington and Harrisburg, but with a much more adverse impact on students’ access to higher learning. Tuition at state-related universities continues to outpace inflation, grants and low-interest loans are not keeping pace with the costs of attendance, and students are increasingly facing unmet financial needs.

This year’s federal education bills look worse than ever, threatening Perkins Loans for your constituents, and giving banks more leverage in the student loan market by eliminating the low fixed-rate consolidation benefit for student borrowers. Senator Specter still chairs the subcommittee that handles education. He and other lawmakers need to hear that tuition increases are pricing some students out of the market, and forcing others to go deeper in debt. According to current data on the University’s Web site, 64.8 percent of full-time Pitt students receive some form of financial aid. Without increases to Pell Grants, funding for Perkins Loans, and low fixed-rate consolidation, students will suffer.

I ask that you continue SGB’s strong tradition of student advocacy by (1) reaching out to student governments at other Universities to form lobbying alliances, (2) meeting with your elected representatives on issues of economic access to higher education, and (3) tying education funding issues into your student voter mobilization effort this fall.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Keith J. Campbell

Albany, N.Y.

SGB 1995-1996

CAS Class of 1997

kcampbell@alumni.pitt.edu