Protesters gather to fight aid cuts

"Stop the Raid on Student Aid" was the rallying cry for the approximately 100 Cal State Long Beach students who gathered at the Psychology Building quad Wednesday to protest the proposed federal student-aid cuts.

The rally was led by the Associated Students Inc., which submitted to the A.S. Senate a proposal of opposition to any federal aid cuts.

By David Ferdig

The proposal was submitted to the Senate by A.S.I. Vice President Mike Barrett and is expected to pass with ease, he said.

"This is a serious, serious situation," said A.S.I. President Carl Kemp, who strongly urged students at the rally to get active in the effort to stop financial-aid cuts proposed in the new budget.

Six million students receive an average of $3,500 a semester in student grants and loans, Kemp said. The proposed $10.5 billion cut by Congress will severely effect students using financial aid around the country, he said.

In an attempt to lessen the burden of federal financial aid on the government, Congress hopes to transfer the responsibilities of student loans to commercial banks, Kemp said.

Kemp said the transfer of responsibilities will create a number of problems, including the absence of the usual six-month grace period given to graduating students.

"Students will have to start repaying their loans immediately after graduating, with or without a job," Kemp said.

Financial-aid recipients will receive notices from several banks after each bank transfers the loan between institutions and the often utilized work-study programs will become non-existent for students who need to work, he said.

Kemp also expressed concern at the rally that the cuts will effect every student at CSULB, whether or not they receive financial aid.

"If these cuts take affect, I guarantee we will lose half our students," Kemp said. "This federal financial-aid nuclear bomb will effect every student here."

Kemp said the cuts will take away from the overall income of the university and that fees will have to be raised to offset the difference.