Throughout this semester, I have covered several political issues that impact college students. Of these, I covered aspects of existing programs, proposed legislation, and ongoing battles in court. In the time that’s passed, one relevant issue to college students has progressed and warrants a second glance. In this article, I will follow up on actions regarding college affordability and access to public colleges.
Over two articles, I discussed college affordability. The first, “Breaking the knowledge bank”, discusses the issue broadly. The second, “How President Biden’s budget proposals affect you”, discussed a proposed measure to expand access to public 2-year colleges.
Broadly, college affordability is still a crisis facing US students. As we approach another semester, public and private, 2-year and 4-year, institutions are preparing to collect tuition and fees from their students. To pay for this, students are taking on loans that may stick with them for the rest of their lives. Many are continuing to balance a full-time class schedule and a full-time job to pay what isn’t covered by their loans.
Needless to say, students are tired and, unfortunately, no one is coming to help them.
Reporting in my second article suggested that progress on this issue was imminent. At the time, the party with power over the House, Senate, and Presidency were negotiating a bill that offered access to 2-year public colleges to every incoming college student. Originally, it was proposed to offer a free 2-year public college to everyone entering higher education. However, as we stand today, 2 months after my initial reporting on the subject, little is certain about the Build Back Better proposal other than free 2-year public college has been removed.
While the established powers in our society have chosen to take another course of action, students will feel the burden of that decision. Though we have not beaten COVID-19 or its economic side effects, relief is less available than it was before. Parkland students this semester had access to a $1,500 grant, as a function of the C.A.R.E.S Act, that eased the burden of education expenses.
With tuition rates already high, adding an economic crisis made it very difficult for some students to continue their education. This grant was necessary for many to overcome the extra hurdles brought by COVID-19. Now, these hurdles are still present, yet aid is shrinking. An $800 grant has been offered for the upcoming spring semester. While this will help some, the reduction in aid is confusing. Right now, our economy is experiencing inflation, meaning the generalized prices of goods and services are rising, yet there’s been no major tuition reform. Therefore, this semester’s students are facing similar educational expenses and increased expenses outside of education but are going to receive 53% of the relief previously available.
For now, the fight for affordable college has been removed from Capitol Hill, and aid at home is rolling back. Moving forward, it is again the task of students themselves to speak out, demonstrate, and demand elected officials enact tuition reform. Illinois’ new legislative maps may offer an opportunity for students in the Parkland area to take action. Illinois has lost a congressional district this cycle, and with that, the maps are much different than before.
Areas of Champaign County, including Parkland, have been in a Republican congressional district since before redistricting last occurred. In this time, the Republican party has taken stances against free public higher education. Some even promote the dismantlement of public education in favor of a private education system. Now, the Parkland area will be drawn into a district that includes heavily democratic voting areas. This means that Democrats will likely take the open seat. For students hoping to make headway on this issue, an opportunity has arisen to send an advocate of free public higher education to Capitol Hill. When the democratic primary for our new district’s congressman begins, students should take action to ensure that the democratic nominee supports free public higher education.
We must remember that although the democratic party holds power in DC, its internal disputes have kept us from seeing this initiative implemented. To keep this from happening in the future, students in Champaign should do their part to build a democratic party in our image so students who follow us have the opportunity to receive an education without the financial barriers many students face today.