California college students are planning to gather in Sacramento on Mar. 14, along with other students throughout the state, to protest proposed cuts to higher education as well as the possible $10 a-unit hike in community college tuition.
Edgar Barton, Extended Opportunities Program and Student Services Association Club president (EOPSSA), will be attending the march and plans on keeping students and staff updated with pictures and videos, all of which will be uploaded via his social network site, Facebook.
“At the event, students will have the opportunity to speak at a podium at the Capital and talk to the legislators about their own opinions,” said Barton.
According to the California Community Colleges Chancellors Office website, the proposed $10 per unit fee increase would generate $110 million for the colleges to support an additional 50,000 students.
This would mean that as many as 350,000 students could lose access to a community college education. A $10 fee increase would raise student fees from $26 per credit unit to $36, which would make it a 38.5% increase, according to the website
To raise awareness about proposed cuts to higher education, staff and faculty are participating in a non-profit event, “March for Higher Education”, which will take place on March 14.
This would mark the third-annual event supporting a common cause in Sacramento to fix this economic issue.
The CCCCO website also provides in depth information on the 2011-12 state budget proposed by Gov. Jerry Brown.
“Due to the economic recession, a 6.8 percent budget reduction of approximately $400 million will be lost if no further action is soon demanded,” the CCCCO website stated.
Participants volunteering at the March will be traveling by bus on a six-hour trip to get to the Capitol grounds.
They will then meet at the California Automobile Museum in Sacramento and march from the Museum to the State Capitol beginning at 9:30 a.m. and continuing their protest until 1:00 p.m.
Alex Pader, President of Student Senate of California Community Colleges and American River College student, is confident in the power that every student’s voice has.
“There are three million students in the school system, including community colleges, Cal States and Universities of California, and if they all came together then they would be unstoppable,” said Pader.
