University Students Urge Regents Not to Cut “AIMS Scholarship”
The Arizona Students’ Association (ASA), a statewide advocacy organization representing all of Arizona’s public university students, continues its opposition to proposed cuts in the Regents High Honors Endorsement Award, also known as the AIMS Scholarship. Elma Delic, ASA Board Chair and a student at the University of Arizona, released the following statement:
The Arizona Students’ Association opposes any cuts to financial aid programs, especially when tuition has dramatically increased and Arizona’s students and families planned on receiving this scholarship.
The AIMS Scholarship has provided an incentive to Arizona’s high school students; that if they work hard and pass the AIMS test, they would be rewarded with an academic award in the amount of in-state tuition at any of Arizona’s universities. Many students in Arizona have planned on receiving this scholarship since this program has begun and many are working hard to utilize this as the key to higher education, as can be seen by the steady increase in recipients.
Currently, the AIMS Scholarship is the only form of financial aid that is keeping pace with the dramatic tuition increases over the past few years. In the past three years alone, tuition has increased 63 percent, causing many scholarships to become inadequate.
The concerns of the universities stem from the fact that tuition has dramatically increased causing the AIMS Scholarship to no longer be viable within its current funding mechanism.
“Cutting financial aid should never be used as a cost-saving measure since it directly impacts both accessibility and affordability,” said Delic. “It is therefore the Arizona Board of Regents and the universities’ responsibility to provide due diligence in examining this program prior to making any substantive changes to minimize the harm to any future recipient of the award.
Click here to view the entire student proposal
Click here to view the original proposal from the Arizona Board of Regents
Click here to view the most recent proposal from the Arizona Board of Regents
ASA Launches First Legislative Report Card
ASA Launches First Legislative Report Card. See the press release
2010 Legislative Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2010
CONTACT
Elma Delic
480.270.2254
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO HONOR HUPPENTHAL, HEINZ AS LEGISLATORS OF THE YEAR
District Events Planned to Also Honor Student Advocates of the Year
PHOENIX – Directors from the Arizona Students’ Association (ASA) have released the list of 2010 Legislators and Student Advocates of the Year awards to members of the State Legislature for their work on the 2010 ASA Legislative Agenda. The two Legislators of the Year award recipients are Senator John Huppenthal (R-20) and Representative Matt Heinz (D-29). The Student Advocates of the Year awardees include State Representatives Rich Crandall (R-19), Bill Konopnicki (R-5), David Schapira (D-17), Nancy Young-Wright (D-26), and State Senators Paula Aboud (D-28) and Linda Gray (R-10).
“These State Legislators went above and beyond to advance ASA’s legislative agenda,” said Elma Delic, a student at the University of Arizona and Chair of ASA. “It is an honor to award them for standing up for bills important to students.”
The awards were based on criteria gauging sponsorship and support of the 2010 ASA Legislative Agenda, a process that began with ASA establishing legislative priorities, students worked to recruit student stories, gathered research and letters of support, and attended the committee hearings. The bills were drafted by ASA which is a statewide organization that represents the collective voice of Arizona’s public university students.
As advocated by the State Legislators and proposed by ASA, SB1186 will strengthen efforts to ease the transfer of community college credits to the state’s universities by matching course-numbers for 100 and 200 level courses. HB2668 will formalize student government civic engagement efforts with university administration to expand voter access for college students.
The awarding of the plaques will take place at various events as coordinated by students with the respective State Legislators.
ASA Is Now Hiring
The Arizona Students’ Association is now hiring interns for the fall semester.
Interns must be ready to work within a dynamic, student-led environment. In becoming an intern with the Arizona Students’ Association, you will have the opportunity to get nationally recognized professional training in grassroots organizing and lobbying that will be applicable to any profession. You will meet tons of incredible people ranging from your fellow peers to Arizona legislators, reporters, Regents, and members of the administration. You have the unique opportunity to enhance your educational experience and start to apply the concepts and ideas that you have been learning in the class room. But most importantly, you will be working to make a huge difference for students in Arizona!
Interns may earn up to 3 units of university credit per semester
Responsibilities include:
Advocacy, Outreach and Media Work
• Develop message and media strategy and tactics
• Media kit creation and press conference planning
• Lobby Corps Meetings
• Bill research and analysis
• Legislative Lobbying
• Board of Regent Lobbying
Organizing
• Building coalitions
• Student outreach
• Campaign strategy
• Event planning
Leadership Development
• Weekly skills and knowledge courses
• Develop knowledge of local and national politics
• Develop knowledge of higher education issues
• Attend statewide trainings, Arizona Students’ Association and Arizona Board of Regents’ meetings
Contact:
Kelley Dupps, ASU-Tempe Campus Organizer
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
480.334.4401
For further information
The US House of Representatives Supported Students by Passing Changes to Student Aid - Press Release
The US House of Representatives Supported Students by Passing Changes to Student Aid
On March 21st, the US House of Representatives passed sweeping changes to student aid as part of the reconciliation process. The changes to student aid programs will mean the largest investment in student aid in our country since the G.I. Bill. The Arizona Students’ Association along the United States Student Association, the US Public Interest Research Group and Campus Progress were part of a national campaign to get Congress to support Students and not banks.
The changes in student aid will provide needed funding for student aid programs such as the Pell Grant, which aided 6 million students from 2007 – 2008. It will also lower interest rates on need-based subsidized federal student loans, helping more than 5.5 million students across the country. Students will now have more access to the Perkins loan program by expanding the program to every college campus in the United States and students will be ensured a simpler FAFSA form that will make applying for financial aid easier. All the costs for the program are covered by ending the expensive subsidies to the banking industry which will save $87 billion dollars over the next ten years.
Students at Arizona universities worked around the clock during their spring breaks to ensure that their voices were heard and that they would, in fact, be supported with this bill.
On behalf of the Arizona Students’ Association, we would like to thank Congress members Giffords, Mitchell, Kirkpatrick, Grijalva and Pastor in this fight for funding.
Arizona Board of Regents Tuition Hearing.
Arizona Board of Regents Tuition Hearing TONIGHT from 5:00pm - 7:00pm on YOUR campus. This is your opportunity to show your support for Arizona students and higher education by attending this public hearing before the final Tuition Setting on March 11th. You also have the opportunity to voice your opinions or tell your story about what increased tuition means to you and your family. If you would like to speak at this event, please come to your designated campus at 4:30pm to sign up. If you can’t make it, please e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with your comments about increased tuition that will be forwarded to the Arizona Board of Regents. Click HERE for a list of campus locations.
Photos
Coming soon!
Newsletter
Please check back in the near future for ASA’s newsletter.
News Releases
April 21, 2009
Contact: Robyn Nebrich, Organizing Director, 602-294-6900
STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY TO PASS THE FEDERAL BUDGET
Arizona students joined the United States Students Association and students across the country in a National Call-In Day to tell members of Congress that they support passing the federal budget with a reconciliation provision because the proposed investments to Pell grants and other higher education programs are desperately needed by students & working families.
“We held this Call-In Day because our federal government must pass a budget that invests in education, to ensure a sound economy and a swift economic recovery – while still cutting the deficit substantially,” said Arizona Students’ Association Chair, Michael Slugocki.
“I called my Arizona representatives today because this is a budget that puts students first, takes politics and special interests out of financing our education, and represents a major step in ensuring that our future is not dependent on our parents’ income,” said Slugocki.
“In order to build our economy in the long-term and create an educated workforce that is prepared to lead, we need serious reform of the student financial aid system and major investments in college access, completion, and affordability,” said Slugocki.
The Call-In Day was part of a national effort by the United States Student Association to ensure that Congress knows that students across the country are paying attention to Washington politics. “Young people applaud many members of Congress who voted to pass a federal budget that is good for students, we now look to the rest of Congress to do the right thing when they return from recess as they will have another opportunity to vote to make Pell grants mandatory,” said USSA President, Carmen Berkley. “This National Call-In Day was one part of our larger strategy to rebuild and renew America.”
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April 15, 2009
Contact: Robyn Nebrich, Organizing Director, 602-294-6900
University Students Say “No” to Drastic Increases in Tuition and Mandatory Fees
Statewide Advocacy Group Tells Regents that Another Increase is Unacceptable
Today the Arizona Students’ Association (ASA), a statewide advocacy organization representing all of Arizona’s public university students, announced its opposition to the new tuition surcharges and mandatory fees that the university Presidents have proposed for consideration at the April 30th Arizona Board of Regents meeting. Michael Slugocki, ASA Board Chair and a student at the University of Arizona, released the following statement:
The Arizona Students’ Association opposes all mid-year increases to tuition and mandatory fees for the upcoming 2009-2010 academic year.
The proposed increases, in the form of tuition surcharges and new mandatory fees, range from $422-1,280 per student and if passed, would represent the largest increases ever experienced by the State of Arizona. If these increases are approved, resident undergraduate tuition will have increased more than 200% in the past decade.
The Arizona Board of Regents already increased tuition and mandatory fees for the 2009-2010 academic year in December of 2008. With these additions, tuition and mandatory fees for resident undergraduates in 2009-2010 could climb as high as 21.7% at NAU, 29.7% at UA, and 33.1% at ASU above what they were in 2008-2009, in conflict with the predictability measures that were set in place at all three universities over the past two years.
“I’m deeply concerned that these proposed increases would really hurt college affordability in Arizona. These increases are massive – the ones on the table for UA and ASU would be the largest ever – and they come on top of substantial increases that were already approved by the Regents in December,” said Slugocki. “These additional hikes abandon the university Presidents’ promises of predictability and are coming at a time when Arizona and our country are in a recession. Students and parents are losing their jobs and losing their homes. It’s unconscionable for tuition and fees to be raised again, especially in such difficult economic times.”
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