Saint Mary's Day at the Capitol is Thursday, March 22. This day is an opportunity for students to lobby state legislators about the importance of the Minnesota State Grant program to Saint Mary's. More than 300 students are the beneficiaries of this program. New this year, a panel of three Saint Mary's alumni will serve as panelists.
Students from Saint Mary’s are invited to travel to Saint Paul Thursday, March 31, for Minnesota Private College Day at the Capitol. This annual event provides an opportunity for Minnesota private college students to see first-hand how state government works.
On this day, students meet with their legislators at the State Capitol to advocate for student financial aid, specifically the Minnesota State Grant Program.
Students from Saint Mary’s are invited to travel to Saint Paul Thursday, March 31, for Minnesota Private College Day at the Capitol. This annual event provides an opportunity for Minnesota private college students to see first-hand how state government works.
On this day, students meet with their legislators at the State Capitol to advocate for student financial aid, specifically the Minnesota State Grant Program.
Saint Mary’s students have been actively involved over the last few years in Minnesota’s Private Colleges Day at the Capitol. On this day students meet with their legislators at the State Capitol to advocate for student financial aid, specifically the Minnesota State Grant Program. Between February and April 2007, more than 400 students developed skills on how to be effective citizen lobbyists and urged their hometown legislators to support Minnesota students.
Saint Mary’s will be at the Capitol on March 5. Anyone can attend Day at the Capitol — students, professors, parents, or administrators. Last 40 students took advantage of this opportunity. Student Senate would love to increase these numbers this year.
Minnesota undergraduate students and their families had to borrow more than $1 billion dollars in 2005 to pay for higher education — an amount that has grown 162% since 1995. The value of state grants dropped 14 percent from 2000 to 2005. Only 2 percent of public spending for Higher Education goes to private schools while 28 percent of state graduates come from private schools like Saint Mary’s.
With 71,108 students receiving need-based aid through the State Grant Program and our state budget deficit for the next biennium forecasted to be at least $4.8 billion, preserving the State Grant program and keeping the cost of education low is even more important.
Go to the Minnesota Association of Private College Students’ (MAPCS) website at www.mnprivatecolleges.org/mapcs/index.php for more information. Students will be able to register on the MAPCS website or through Student Senate as the event draws nearer.
In addition to excusing students to attend, faculty are encouraged to promote conversations about the cost of higher education and the problems our state is currently facing.
If you have any further questions, contact Mary Gleich, Student Senate vice president for external affairs, at mtglei04@smumn.edu.
The MPCC now has a new tool in its legislative advocacy toolkit — the Facebook group, “Expand aid for Minnesota college students.” People who join this group can keep up on the latest information about need-based aid and what’s happening at the legislature. They can also share their state grant stories, comments, Day at the Capitol photos and videos and more. Although this group was created by MPCC, its need-based aid proposal benefits all college students and anyone can join. Please become a member and help promote this group.
Just follow these steps:
• If you don’t already have a Facebook account, create one at www.facebook.com.
• When you’re signed into Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50037170587 to join “Expand aid for Minnesota college students,” or search for this group on the Facebook site.
• Once you’re on the group page, click on the “join this group” link in the right column.
• Once you’ve joined, click on the “Invite friends to join” link in the right column.
• Look for other ways to help promote this group – in campus communications, Legislative Action Network and Day at the Capitol promotion, etc.
Help the MPCC build the membership of this group which supports expansion of need-based aid.
Minnesota's policymakers should act now to make college more affordable and accessible for low- and middle-income students. It's more important than ever, if we are going to have the educated workforce we need for future jobs and economic growth. Our state can't compete globally if only one out of three low-income high school students in Minnesota go on to college (that's compared to two out of three when income is not considered).
There are steps the state can take right now: one, put more money into need-based aid, increasing awards and eligibility for thousands of students, and two, fund proven support programs that help those least likely to go to college.
Become an advocate for expanding college opportunity for Minnesota students. Join the Minnesota Private Colleges’ Legislative Action Network to find out more about this issue and keep up with what’s happening at the Capitol. Get the tools and resources you need to make your voice heard. Join today.