(Yes, let’s support the students! What’s the point of preparing for college if we can’t afford it? – promoted by atdleft)

Hi, I’m Charlie Carnow, a freshman in Urban Planning at USC, and a first time delegate from the 40th Assembly District introducing my first resolution, supported by the California Young Democrats, San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, and Valley Grassroots for Democracy as well a college Democratic chapters throughout the state. Together, we are urging the state party to take a firm stand on an issue crucial to our state, and especially to young voters: college affordability. 

Hi, I’m Charlie Carnow, a freshman in Urban Planning at USC, and a first time delegate from the 40th Assembly District introducing my first resolution, supported by the California Young Democrats, San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, and Valley Grassroots for Democracy as well a college Democratic chapters throughout the state. Together, we are urging the state party to take a firm stand on an issue crucial to our state, and especially to young voters: college affordability. 

I never want to hear a story like I heard from a friend of mine in the 40th District again. Raised by a single mother, my friend moved around a lot, but finally reached some stability and got into her dream school, UC Davis. But the aid package was too stingy, so she was forced to go to a community college for two years, and work to save for an eventual transfer to a UC. The state needs to invest in higher education to ensure that students of all backgrounds are able to attend the school that best fits their dreams and abilities, regardless of cost.  Supporting Democratic efforts in the Legislature and Congress and urging further action through this resolution is a good first step. 

In 1960, the California State Legislature made a firm commitment that all qualified students would have a high quality affordable college education. From Silicon Valley to the San Fernando Valley, our investments in higher education have helped make California an economic and educational powerhouse on an international scale. . 

Today, as millions of baby boomers begin to retire, California has compromised its commitment to college affordability, making it harder for our young people to take advantage of these opportunities. Rated an A in affordability by the National Report Card in Higher Education in 2000, California slipped to a C- in 2006. Since 2000, fees have risen over 72% at the University of California. This year, even the Legislative Analysts Office calls the Governor’s proposed 10% increase at California State University and 7% increase for UCs  excessive. The average Californian now leaves college with $16,356 dollars in debt, limiting their ability to choose lower paying public service careers that the state needs to fill as baby boomers retire. The Cal Grant B,  which provides low income students with money to pay for books, housing and other educational expenses has not kept up with inflation, and the Cal Grant award to students at private schools have not kept up with the increasing cost of tuition. In Congress, Californians like House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller and Speaker Nancy Pelosi have fought to cut student loan rates in half and in the House. Senator Kennedy’s Student Debt Relief Act would cut student loan interest rates in half, make student loan debt manageable, and cut the massive subsidies to student loan companies, freeing up funds to pay for increased grant aid for students. 

The State Party must support these efforts and encourage our Senators to cosponsor legislation containing these concepts. Furthermore, as a UC Berkeley study on the Returns to the State of Higher Education found, for every additional $1 the state spends in higher education now, the state can expect to expect to reap $3 in additional tax revenue in the next decade. Buying out the fee increase, and increasing Cal Grant B awards to take into account increases in the cost of living can ensure we protect and preserve the California Dream, and stand together against a Governor often hostile to students. We can restore the California Dream by putting our party on record as opposing unnecessary fee increases, supporting more grant aid to students, and aiding the efforts of our Democratic Congress to increase the Pell Grant and cut student loan interest rates. 

I invite you to join me at the Resolutions Committee to support this resolution. If you have any insights on how I can get this through the resolutions committee and ensure this remains a priority for them, please let me know in the commentss or contact me at [email protected] would be the first time at least since before 2003, that they address college issues in a resolution. It’s crucial this year as we try to pass some good Assembly bills to expand the Cal Grant B program, and take the wind of this year’s fee increase.

Text of the resolution follows:

Funding California Education Resolution

WHEREAS, since the 1960 Master Plan for College Education, California has guaranteed college opportunity to all qualified students, making California a national center for emerging industries and the world’s sixth largest economy, and

WHEREAS, over the last ten years, college costs have increased 26% nationally and 72% at the University of California,  while the percentage of college-bound high school graduates has declined and college graduates now carry an average of $19,000 in debt, and

WHEREAS, on January 17th, 2007, under the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, the House of Representatives passed the College Student Relief Act of 2007 to cut the student loan rate on subsidized loans in half, 

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Valley Grassroots for Democracy supports efforts in the United States Senate and the House by Senator Edward Kennedy, Representative George Miller and others to improve national competitiveness by drastically cutting federally subsidized student loan rates and increasing Pell Grants, making loan debt manageable by limiting loan payments to a reasonable percentage of income and allowing payment over a longer period of time, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Valley Grassroots for Democracy urge the California State legislature to provide the necessary funding to buy out the proposed fee increase at California State University and also at the University of California, and implement the Legislative Analyst’s Office recommendation to support students at private universities by increasing Cal Grants.

Submitted by: Charlie Carnow, 40th AD