Student aid under scrutiny

By Lea Goy, Forty-Niner Online
Sept. 20, 1995

From now until Sept. 30, Congress is working on a federal budget in which as much as $12.9 billion in student aid cuts have now been officially opposed by the State of California.

The proposal asks Congress and President Clinton to "resist cuts in student aid during federal budget negotiations," according to a press release from California Senate Majority Leader Henry Mello, D-Watsonville.

This cut would adversely affect California higher-education students in private and public universities and in community colleges and because "California has a higher percentage of students who use the federal student aid programs, cuts would fall disproportionately on the state," Mello said.

The Senate Joint Resolution measure, known as SJR-26, was proposed by Mello.

"We're not going to lose all federal student aid funds, but we could lose a lot," said Larry Sheingold, assistant to Mello. "That means thousands and thousands of qualified students might not be able to go to college."

Last year, California received $12 billion in federal student aid funds, but if the budget passes, Sheingold said California may receive only $8 billion a year. Once the cuts begin, the money will be gone and the probability that the money could be restored is very slim, he said.

"I'm against any cuts in federal financial aid," said Cal State Long Beach President Robert Maxson. "I think those plans are short-sighted and would have a negative effect on those students who needs it most. I think financial aid is a great investment in the future of this country."

Federal loans, grants and subsidized campus jobs are all included in the student aid programs. Currently, there are more than 600,000 higher-education students in California who are financial aid recipients, according to a press release from Mello's office.

There are approximately 12,000 students at Cal State Long Beach who receive some type of financial aid, said Gloria Kapp, financial aid director at CSULB. This university alone receives $45 million a year in federal student aid fund, Kapp said.

"I would be doomed. I depend on it for my rent, bills and school," said Kamie Pheng, a junior at CSULB who is majoring in biology. "If I don't have student aid I would have to get a full-time job. Depending on how deep the cuts are, I would be forced to go to school part time and work full time."

"The reason politicians feel comfortable doing this is because students don't vote. They are not afraid of students," he said. "If potential students want to do something, they have to let their elective officials know how angry they are."

An off-campus activist group that opposes financial has set up a tollfree number for people to call and voice their opinions to Congress, Kapp said.

The Alliance to Save Student Aid has set up the number to allow students to express to their elected officials their concerns about cuts, Kapp said. The number is (800) 547-4AID.

Kapp said that a few years ago, politicians submitted a proposal to charge interest on loans while students were still in school. About 10,000 people called the toll-free number and opposed that proposal. Because of those calls, that proposal never took place, Kapp said.