Student Government

Petition to fight cuts started

Vice President of Administration and Finance Carl Carlucci spoke at Wednesday night’s Student Government Association meeting about upcoming budget cuts, giving a brief summary of what to expect for fiscal year 2012-2013.

Carlucci explained that the budget cuts would greatly affect the amount of financial aid being supplied to the students within the University of Houston system.

“We are going to see about $100 million cut from the whole University of Houston system, 65 million of which will be cut here,” Carlucci said. “That only leaves enough aid to cover current students. There will be no aid available for the new (students).”

SGA President Prince Wilson has established an online petition, Texans Against Higher Education Budget Cuts, which has gone viral on Facebook.

In one day, the website has received over 3,000 electronic signatures.

The petition calls for support in fighting cuts to higher education, stating “Student tuition will rise drastically, important courses will be eliminated, student services will be reduced and many more significant factors of our education will be either completely removed or will face funding reduction.”

SGA officials hope they can raise enough awareness on the topic to garner support and head into the State capitol with the signed petitions during spring break.

Carlucci urged SGA to take a trip to Austin to educate state representatives on the matter and get involved in the discussion.

“It is important to let your state representatives know that you vote,” Carlucci said. “There are a number of alums that should respond to your efforts.”

SGA will hold its next meeting Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Cougar Den.

Sign the petition at www.gopetition.com/petition/43058.html

4 Comments

  • While I applaud the petition efforts, sometimes it's too late. The problem? Students didn't vote Nov 2nd. Almost everyone (especially Gov. Rick Perry) that ran, ran on budget cuts and no raised taxes. Where else was the money going to come from? We love our low taxes, and our subsidized education. Don't we? We may not be hurting as much as say CA right now, but we're definitely going to hurt more in the long run. It's time for young folks to start voting, not just during presidential elections, but state elections as well (which often have a bigger impact on you and I). As long as young folks don't vote, and older people do… this all shall come to no surprise.

  • Uh… 'going viral' is an acute cliche. Just 8% of students at UH have signed the petition – I wouldn't call that viral.

  • The cuts aren't only to grants for scholarships and even if they were- If UH can’t count on the $85 million coming in, they are going to have to find other ways to come up with the money. (IE- raise tuition to recoup the lost grant $, cut academic programs etc.) Where do you think that grant money goes? Not into the student’s pockets, back into the university. If the students go to community college for 2 years, that is only detrimental to UH.

    It isn't only "poor people" who are being forced out of an education but middle class people as well. I don’t think it is a selfish thing to want to be a productive member of society. A college education is a necessity, not a luxury, and it is beneficial to the state as a whole for there to be an educated workforce. I don’t see anyone as being selfish. I would rather help finance an education than watch members my generation who want to better themselves, spiral into poverty because they could not afford school.

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