News and Commentary in Higher Education and Student Organizing

UC Students Protest Fee Hikes

Yesterday, the University of California Regents voted to increase student fees by 32%, bringing the total cost of college to triple what it was a decade ago.  This drastic increase triples the total cost of a UC education from a decade ago.  The vote was met with a torrent of protest by those whom the decision directly affects.  A coalition of students, faculty, and staff across the state proclaimed to the nation that they would not accept divestment in higher education without a fight.

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Graduate Students Win New Contract

The Graduate Employees' Organization at the University of Illinois ended their strike and reached a tentative agreement with universities officials Tuesday evening.  The new contract includes no tuition waiver reductions, increased student health insurance fee subsidies, and increased minimum stipends.  The new contract and successful strike were called an "unquestionable win" for the GEO by the union's communications officer.

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Middle-Class Manifesto

An article in the National Journal advocates for a new Middle-Class Bill of Rights, similar to the one proposed by President Clinton in 1994.  The reasoning is that working families don't seem to see how the government is relevant to their daily lives, caught in between having too much money to qualify for need-based aid, but not enough to have total financial secuirty.  Among the issues a Middle-Class Manifesto would include is an expansion of middle-class tuition aid for students who don't qualify for federal programs like the Pell Grant, but who still struggle to pay for college.

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