Student leaders, at OU and across the nation, are rallying to stop a $10.4 billion cut in student financial aid while the proposed-funding legislation is in a U.S. Senate committee.

OU student leaders want to pass legislation through Student Congress tonight and are planning a student-aid day against the proposed financial-aid cuts, which would affect students almost immediately. The cuts would directly affect programs such as Pell Grants and Perkins Loans.

"We need to mobilize the student body and fight," said Saul Magaa, interim student advisory board representative to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

"These cuts are appalling in their numbers," he said.

Although OU students and administrators say the cuts are significant, U.S. Congressman J.C. Watts, R-Okla., said he disagrees that the legislature is drastically cutting education funds.

"There is a big lie on campus that we are cutting student loans," Watts said. "We are not cutting student loans. We have just slowed the growth of many of these programs."

The appropriations legislation, which passed through the U.S. House of Representatives on Aug. 3, is now in the Senate Labor and Human Relations Committee.

The House vote of 219 to 208 to approve the legislation, HR 2127, fell along party lines. The Oklahoma Republican delegation voted for the measure, with Democrat Representative Bill Brewster the only Oklahoma representative to vote against the bill.

Watts said over the next seven years, funding for student loans will increase by 50 percent. Funding for loans will increase from $6.6 billion for this year to $7.1 billion for next year, Watts said.

However, in figures released by the Alliance to Save Student Aid, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education office, the OU Department of Financial Aid and Congressman Bill Brewster's office, cuts to student financial aid over the next seven years will total $10.4 billion.

"The opposition is not only trying to scare school kids and senior citizens, but also students," Watts said in response to the differences in the proposed numbers.

A resolution taking a stance against the proposed cuts is on the agenda for the Student Congress meeting tonight. The same resolution passed through the Graduate Student Senate Sunday night.

The UOSA resolution is important because it gives student leaders an official stance to start lobbying efforts from, said Robert Gropp, GSS chairman.

"My plan is organize a student rally and then take the publicity blitz to the media of Oklahoma and generate some kind of chaos," said Marc Young, Student Congress vice-chairman.

Young said that he has been working with Matt Hamilton, OU financial aid director, to organize a student-aid day. It has been set for Oct. 4, but is still in initial stages.

Angela McKinney, Student Congress member, said the problem is people are not informed.

"A lot of people don't know what the problem is," McKinney said. "They don't know until the bill passes the Senate, and it is too late."

Gropp said he was concerned with the impact of the cuts on the graduate student community. He said the university would have a hard time recruiting graduate students without funding.

"Fears that students have is that these cuts will come back to haunt them in a tuition-fee increase," said Laura McClintock, the legislation director for the U.S. Student Association.

The USSA is the steering committee of the Alliance to Save Student Aid, McClintock said.

The alliance has set up a program called the "Death to Student Aid" campaign, which includes information materials that anyone can request, she said. The information packet includes action plans on how to organize rallies, phone-a-thons and flier campaigns. The packet can be obtained by calling the alliance at 202-939-9365.

"Cutting $10.4 billion from student aid shows that the federal government is not providing a commitment to education," McClintock said.

Hamilton said several cuts in the proposed legislation will affect students immediately.

Although legislators have raised the maximum amount a student can get for a Pell Grant, cuts in the program will prevent students that receive a smaller amount from qualifying the following year.

"If this bill passes through, then potentially 239 students could lose their Pell Grants next year," Hamilton said.

"I am not familiar with the dynamics of this program," Watts said when asked about Pell cuts.

Hamilton said 89 percent of government funding for the Perkins Loan will be cut if this measure goes through.

"I would hate to see the Perkins Loan program go because it is a supplemental program," Hamilton said.

In facts released from Congressman Brewster's office, other programs such as the Byrd Honors Scholars, National Science Scholars and Harris & Javits Fellowships would be completely eliminated.

"OU is one of the leading institutions in Harris & Javits Fellowships," Hamilton said.

The financial-aid cuts would also eliminate funding for permanent residents that are not U.S. citizens, Hamilton said.

"My fear is that some of the proposed cuts would discourage minority groups from pursuing a college degree," Gropp said.

McClintock said there are several other effects that impact students nationwide.The Senate committee wants to eliminate the six-month grace period students have after graduation to start paying back federal aid, McClintock said.

"They are also proposing an unprecedented .85-percent tax on universities based on their loan volume," she said.

Hamilton said OU takes in about $50 million dollars in federal financial aid, so the university would be taxed about $400,000 a year to use the money. This will be another $400,000 the university can't use on the students, Hamilton said.

"If you ignore things like this, they will just become law," Hamilton said. "There's no telling what the student body can do if it unites."

Watts said when balancing the budget, cuts will have to be made.

"We are on line to balance the budget," Watts said. "I think that on all the projects, we have to create priority."

Balancing the budget is a necessity, but students don't understand why they have to take such a large cut, Hamilton said.

"The education community is saying, "please don't take those cuts from the future of America.'
hello there & you too