by Christopher Sanchez
Daily Lobo
UNM College Democrats urged students to call their Republican congressional leaders on Tuesday to voice their opposition of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.
Zach Watkins, co-chairman of UNM's College Democrats, said the Republican-sponsored bill would make it harder for lower-middle class citizens to afford college. The purpose of the act is to decrease the national deficit, he said, but in reality would have the opposite effect.
"Congressional studies have shown that these cuts are a quick fix but in the long run will increase the deficit," Watkins said.
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He said the call-in campaign attracted more than 100 students. Students were asked to call state representatives Heather Wilson, Steve Pearce and Pete Domenici. He said there was a phone call almost every minute.
Representatives were not able to talk on the phone with students because of their schedules, but students were able to talk to representatives' interns or staff members, he said.
The Higher Education Act was passed in 1965. The act provided financial assistance to students enrolled in a college or university. According to the reauthorization of the act, Congress may limit the Pell Grant to be given only to students during their first two years of enrollment. There are also plans to create limitations on loans.
Omar Ishak, a UNM sophomore, said he has been receiving Pell Grants since he was a freshman. He said if the government were to limit the Pell Grant to two years, it would make it harder on those who utilize the grant.
"Not everyone has the funds to stay in college," Ishak said. "It will be a lot harder because you will have to work nights and go to school during the day."
Travis Kellerman, a member of the College Democrats, worked a table at Dane Smith Plaza. He said it was a great turnout, but most of the students had to call using their cell phones.
"We didn't have live phone lines, so we had people use their cell phones," Kellerman said. "If they didn't have a cell phone, we let them use one of ours and had them call in."
He said it was a surprise there was no opposition for their campaign from students or other organizations on campus.
"Everyone was real receptive to it," Kellerman said. "If they didn't support it, they didn't come to the table or they were not concerned."
He said the bill will hurt students because it will slash the Pell Grant. The bill will more than likely be passed because the money the government saves will pay for cleanup from hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the war in Iraq, he said.
"It's highly possible it will pass to get some funds for those efforts," Kellerman said. "I can see it happening if they get that desperate."
Ishak said the government should not use education funds to aid Katrina and Rita victims or the war in Iraq.
"The effects will be detrimental, rather than beneficial," he said.
