NYU Students Travel to Washington, D.C. In Support of Student Aid Programs

By Steven Heuer

Concerned NYU students ventured to Washington, D.C. in early April for the annual Advocacy Day trip in which they discuss federal support for student aid programs with members of Congress and their staffs.

The meetings, organized by the Office of Government and Community Affairs, primarily focused on the administration’s budget proposal to eliminate funding for the Perkins loan program and to flat fund annual Pell Grant awards, which are slated to remain frozen at $4,050 for the fifth consecutive year. Students told legislators and staff in personal terms about how various federal programs allowed them to afford higher education, live closer to campus facilities, and reduce family financial pressures.

“Students are the best messengers when talking about the effectiveness of student aid programs,” said Nora Toiv, an NYU undergraduate who made the trip. “If we don’t speak up, members of Congress will have little incentive to protect these essential programs in today’s tight fiscal budget climate.”

Advocacy Day participants met with Representatives Steve Israel, Tim Bishop, Carolyn McCarthy, and Edolphus Towns, along with key Congressional staff from states across the country. Highlights included a chance encounter with Ed Helms, correspondent from Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart who was filming a segment in the Cannon House Building.

With the Congressional appropriations process about to reach full speed in late May and June, NYU’s Office of Government and Community Affairs will continue working with legislators in support of these critical student aid programs.