ASA is hiring an Executive Director!
The Arizona Students’ Association (ASA) seeks a full-time Executive Director for a statewide student advocacy association. The ideal candidate has a proven ability to foster coordination and cooperation among diverse groups. He or she will be committed to getting results in a fast-paced environment and be able to handle a heavy workload with a multitude of responsibilities. The position is based in Phoenix, Arizona and reports to the ASA Board of Directors, which is comprised of student leaders from Arizona’s public universities.
Click here to see the full job description and apply for the position!
Students file lawsuit against Board of Regents to protect Freedom of Speech
PHOENIX – The Arizona Students’ Association filed a lawsuit against the Arizona Board of Regents in Federal Court Tuesday because the Regents violated the First Amendment rights of students by suspending funding to ASA in retaliation for support of Proposition 204.
“Students believe the regents decision to change ASA’s funding method was a direct result of ASA’s support of prop. 204,” said, Brianna Pantilione an ASU student and ASA’s board treasurer. “The reasons for the Board’s decision at its final vote were nothing more than excuses to justify retaliation.”
ASA is a student-run advocacy organization that is funded by a refundable $2 fee that students overwhelmingly voted for in 1997 and 2008. A 26-member student board of directors from Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University governs ASA.
In 2012, ASA engaged in financial and grassroots support for Prop. 204, a ballot proposition to extend a one-cent sales tax to fund education, because it sought to fund universities and student financial aid. The ASA Board of Directors voted unanimously to contribute more than $120,000 to Prop. 204 because it was well within the organization’s mission. On numerous occasions, Regents publically criticized ASA for its support of Prop. 204.
On Nov. 26, 2012, ABOR held a meeting on the topic of ASA’s two-dollar fee and did not notify the public that an official vote would occur. Still, ABOR voted to suspend the fee in a manner that may have violated open meeting laws. During the meeting, Regents noted that the suspension was “political” in nature and a result of ASA’s support of Prop. 204. On Feb. 7, the Regents made a final vote to change ASA’s funding model to opt-in, rather than opt-out, which will cause irreparable financial harm.
ABOR’s suspension of its collection of the ASA student fee and subsequent change to opt-in was based upon the content of ASA’s political speech in support of Prop. 204 and constitutes a regulation of speech and is a violation of the First Amendment.
“We will go to any length to ensure students have a clear voice and can exercise their First Amendment rights without fear of retaliation,” Pantilione said.
ASA has retained the law firm of Montoya, Jimenez and Pastor, P.A. to represent it in court. A copy of the full complaint is attached.
Don’t infringe on student freedom of speech!
An Arizona State Representative has introduced a bill (HB2169) that attempts to ban any student organization, which includes student governments, from using its funds to support or influence political activities or advocate for or against any legislation.
Ensure your voice is heard – e-mail your state legislators now by clicking here and tell them you want them to strongly oppose this proposed legislation. Tell them that you won’t stand for any bills that would limit student freedom of speech!
This bill stifles student freedom of speech. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Kavanagh, is the same legislator who proposed HB2675 last year. HB2675 was the notorious proposed law that would have required all students to pay $2,000 toward tuition without using scholarships or grants.
The intent behind this bill is to rob students of the freedom to use student funds to advocate to elected officials or engage in elections. This bill targets all student groups on campus!
It was your efforts that ensured that HB2675 never became law. Now’s the time to let your legislators know that you won’t stand for this legislation or any other like it. E-mail them now by clicking here!
Join an ASA committee!
The Arizona Students’ Association uses both standing committees and ad-hoc committees to increase the efficiency of the organization. ASA’s five standing committees are Executive Affairs, Internal Affairs, Legislative Affairs, Financial Affairs, and Graduate Affairs. All committees are open to any students, with the exceptions of Executive Affairs and Internal Affairs. Check out the new committees tab for news and upcoming committee meetings that you can join and help make important decisions!
Students, Advocates Call on Senators McCain and Kyl to Reject Cuts to Education, Pell Grants
PHOENIX - As the U.S. Senate began negotiations to stave off a federal government shutdown, representatives from the Arizona Public Interest Research Group and the Arizona Students’ Association were joined by Moriah Costa, a Pell Grant recipient at Arizona State University, Regent Fred DuVal the Vice-Chair of the Arizona Board of Regents, and Craig Fennell the Executive Director of Student Financial Assistance at ASU to urge the Senate to protect vital investments to college aid and focus their spending on other cuts.
The House-passed spending resolution makes deep cuts to the Pell Grant while largely leaving in place wasteful subsidies and tax loopholes for special interests. Pell Grants are the Federal governments’ cornerstone financial aid program that 9.4 million college students rely on each year to pay for the college courses that are fueling our recovering workforce and economy.
“Tough choices are supposed come only after the easy ones,” said Serena Unrein, Arizona PIRG’s Public Interest Advocate. “It’s unbelievable to imagine how cuts to Pell Grants happen first in a recovering economy. And yet, that’s exactly what the House resolution does.”
The cuts slash the maximum award a student can receive by $845, a little more than 15 percent, for the students who can afford it the least. Next school year, a student currently receiving the $5,550 maximum award would see their aid dropped to $4,705. Because of the severity of these cuts, the average Pell award will drop $785 while 1.7 million students would lose access to their grant entirely.
In Arizona, 555,000 students will receive a Pell grant next year. Should the House spending plan become law, our state will lose $319 million in Pell funding, a cut from $1.74 billion to $1.42 billion.*
“State cuts to higher education have increased tuition, pushing more costs onto students themselves,” said Elma Delic, Board Chair for the Arizona Students’ Association. “Any cuts to Pell funding now, especially in Arizona where state-based financial aid is lacking, will push thousands of students already at the tipping point out of school completely.”
“After graduation I plan on working to make my community better,” said Mariah Costa, a Pell recipient at student at ASU. “If my Pell Grant is cut I will be forced to face some very hard decisions, including dropping out of school altogether.”
Education drives economic growth. Eighty percent of the fastest growing jobs in America demand training above a high school level. Current estimates show America needs 22 million more degrees by 2018, however we are on pace to be 3 million short because of high college costs.
In the current economy, 43 states have already cut funding to higher education, pushing more costs onto students themselves. Rising costs will prevent over three million college qualified students from low and moderate-income backgrounds from getting a degree this decade. Pell Grant funding must be maintained in order to deliver the skilled workers our economy demands.
“State cuts to higher education have put a strain on our ability to train a skilled and educated workforce,” said Regent Fred DuVal. “Cuts to federal aid would surely set Arizona on the wrong path to economic recovery.”
Arizona PIRG has helped identify over $600 billion in spending reductions over 5 years that have support across the political spectrum. The spending reductions detailed in our report amount to more than the reductions called for in the House passed resolution.
“Rather than cutting education and risking the health of our workforce and economic recovery, Congress should focus on other low-hanging fruit,” Unrein said. “We urge Senators McCain and Kyl to vote against any budget extension that includes cuts to Pell grants.”
District and State Pell information can be found here:
http://www.naicu.edu/special_initiatives/federal-student-aid-awarded-in-arizona-state-wide-and-by-congressional-district
Additional information on education cuts in HR 1 can be found at:
http://www.studentaidalliance.org/saa/What’s%20at%20Stake%20HR1.pdf http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3405
* Proprietary school data is counted in the state of the businesses headquarters. All University of Phoenix students are counted in Arizona.
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Students, Advocates Call on Senators McCain and Kyl to Reject Cuts to Education, Pell Grants
PHOENIX - As the U.S. Senate began negotiations to stave off a federal government shutdown, representatives from the Arizona Public Interest Research Group and the Arizona Students’ Association were joined by Moriah Costa, a Pell Grant recipient at Arizona State University, Regent Fred DuVal the Vice-Chair of the Arizona Board of Regents, and Craig Fennell the Executive Director of Student Financial Assistance at ASU to urge the Senate to protect vital investments to college aid and focus their spending on other cuts.
The House-passed spending resolution makes deep cuts to the Pell Grant while largely leaving in place wasteful subsidies and tax loopholes for special interests. Pell Grants are the Federal governments’ cornerstone financial aid program that 9.4 million college students rely on each year to pay for the college courses that are fueling our recovering workforce and economy.
“Tough choices are supposed come only after the easy ones,” said Serena Unrein, Arizona PIRG’s Public Interest Advocate. ?
The cuts slash the maximum award a student can receive by $845, a little more than 15 percent, for the students who can afford it the least. Next school year, a student currently receiving the $5,550 maximum award would see their aid dropped to $4,705. Because of the severity of these cuts, the average Pell award will drop $785 while 1.7 million students would lose access to their grant entirely.
In Arizona, 555,000 students will receive a Pell grant next year. Should the House spending plan become law, our state will lose $319 million in Pell funding, a cut from $1.74 billion to $1.42 billion.*
“State cuts to higher education have increased tuition, pushing more costs onto students themselves,” said Elma Delic, Board Chair for the Arizona Students’ Association. “Any cuts to Pell funding now, especially in Arizona where state-based financial aid is lacking, will push thousands of students already at the tipping point out of school completely.”
“After graduation I plan on working to make my community better,” said Mariah Costa, a Pell recipient at student at ASU. “If my Pell Grant is cut I will be forced to face some very hard decisions, including dropping out of school altogether.”
Education drives economic growth. Eighty percent of the fastest growing jobs in America demand training above a high school level. Current estimates show America needs 22 million more degrees by 2018, however we are on pace to be 3 million short because of high college costs.
In the current economy, 43 states have already cut funding to higher education, pushing more costs onto students themselves. Rising costs will prevent over three million college qualified students from low and moderate-income backgrounds from getting a degree this decade. Pell Grant funding must be maintained in order to deliver the skilled workers our economy demands.
“State cuts to higher education have put a strain on our ability to train a skilled and educated workforce,” said Regent Fred DuVal. “Cuts to federal aid would surely set Arizona on the wrong path to economic recovery.”
Arizona PIRG has helped identify over $600 billion in spending reductions over 5 years that have support across the political spectrum. The spending reductions detailed in our report amount to more than the reductions called for in the House passed resolution.
“Rather than cutting education and risking the health of our workforce and economic recovery, Congress should focus on other low-hanging fruit,” Unrein said. “We urge Senators McCain and Kyl to vote against any budget extension that includes cuts to Pell grants.”
District and State Pell information can be found here:
http://www.naicu.edu/special_initiatives/federal-student-aid-awarded-in-arizona-state-wide-and-by-congressional-district
Additional information on education cuts in HR 1 can be found at:
http://www.studentaidalliance.org/saa/What’s%20at%20Stake%20HR1.pdf http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3405
* Proprietary school data is counted in the state of the businesses headquarters. All University of Phoenix students are counted in Arizona.
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Media
Protect Pell Grants from budget cuts
Extreme tuition hikes ahead
Protest Goes to Capitol
One Voice
Higher tuition is wrong answer to UA funds crisis
Video on University Tuition Surcharges
Ariz. student leaders hope to boost turnout with grassroots tactics
Student Visit Capitol for ASA Lobby Day
ASA Delivers “Finals Care Packages” to Legislators
Extreme tuition hikes ahead