Leading Democrats in Congress, educators and students rallied on Capitol Hill May 2 to express their outrage over the Bush administration's proposed cuts to education, particularly to higher education.

They came armed with facts and figures from a report released the same day by the Democratic staffs of five Senate and House committees. "Slamming Shut the Doors to College: The State Budget Crisis & Higher Education" shows the effect Bush's student aid program cuts will have on public higher education systems and families who depend on grants and loans to help pay the costs of college.

"At a time when average American families face skyrocketing college tuition, it's wrong for the Bush administration to increase the cost of student loans," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.). "At a time when our children face crowded classrooms with untrained teachers and unsafe schools, it's wrong to cut funding for school reform."

The administration's proposals would cut $1.3 billion from current education services.  The report shows that the student aid budget would serve 375,000 fewer low-income students. The level of Pell grants, slated to increase to $4,400 next year, would be cut to $3,900.

Particularly outrageous is the latest money-saving scheme from the White House: changing the interest rates on student loans from fixed to variable. This would add an average of $6,000 of debt to the loan burden of 600,000 students.

These cuts come at the same time that states are reducing higher education funding and raising public college tuition to make up for state deficits. For the current year, 30 states have cut $1.5 billion in higher education; next year, the states are looking at a $4 billion shortfall in maintaining higher education services. The report shows that the state tuition increases are likely to ice out an average of 110,000 low-income students.

Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) reminded President Bush that he has to deliver on the promise of the "Leave No Child Behind" bill signed in January. He questioned the priorities reflected in providing a $750 million tax cut to Enron in the energy bill or in cutting over $1 trillion in taxes for the "richest individuals and companies in this country."

Stacey Valentin, a student from Western Washington University, described the sacrifices she and other students are making to become a teacher. With tuition costs and student debt going up, many students feel their career choices are getting squeezed along with their pocketbooks.

Also addressing the rally were Senators Paul Wellstone (D.-Minn), Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.), Patty Murray (D.-Wash), Joseph Biden (D.-Del.) and Jack Reed (D.-R.I.), and a 8th-grade physical science teacher Becky Pringle from Harrisburg, Pa. [Barbara McKenna]

[May 3, 2002]