Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., and students traveled to Albany to advocate for student aid.
LUCAS HAAS / LINKEDIN.COM
Andrew Mannion, Sports Editor
On Tuesday, Feb. 11, Manhattan University students traveled to Albany, NY to advocate against student aid cuts in the state budget. They engaged with state legislators in an effort to increase educational aid funding.
Some of the funds they went to advocate for included the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) grants, the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) and Bundy Aid, which provides financial support to private institutions like Manhattan University. There are a multitude of students at MU who benefit from the financial aid funds that are allocated throughout the state.
The students traveled up with other schools, including Fordham University and the University of Mt. Saint Vincent to show a united front. President of Student Government and attendee Jazi Riley spoke on the time in Albany for the group.
“We went and met with different assemblymen and senators in the New York Senate to talk about different student opportunity aid programs,” Riley said. “It was one-on-one meetings with the assemblymen; there were about 10 different ones and their aids and we were with other schools. We just talked about the programs on our campus.”
Their words were heard among the legislators, as they sat down with MU and the other schools and were noticeably attentive to what the students had to say about the importance of funding. Vice President of Academic Affairs Audrey Daniels spoke on one experience she had with a legislator.
“There was one assemblyman who was new,” Daniels said. “He had only been there for about five weeks, and so he was really interested in the details of what we had to say. That was probably the most rewarding thing, because he wasn’t really sure about all of it. So we got to talk to him in detail about it.”
Advocating for causes like these are very important, especially in the realm of public policy and education funding. Margaret Groarke, Ph.D., spoke about this idea, as she helped the students in Albany get their points across about the importance of funding higher education.
“That’s something that everybody should know how to do, and it’s something I teach in my Roots: Government class,” Groarke said. “Everybody should be able to stand up for themselves and for things that they care about, and know how to do that effectively. So this is a really good experience in doing that and seeing how the government works. I think it’s also effective in getting colleges and students the support they need.”
As for the students, they feel as if they have done their job in advocating for the student body. Education is important, and the funding for it can be just as important when a student makes their decision to enroll in college. Daniels spoke on how their impact will help Manhattan University and its students.
“There’s a quarter of our student body that benefits from these, from TAP specifically, and there’s about almost 200 students that benefit from CSTEP,” Daniels said. “Sometimes it’s the difference between being able to earn your degree and not. So having everyone be aware of how important it is to this campus, and to students in general is so important.”