Less than two months ago, John Simpson gave a pointed speech at his inauguration as UB's 14th President about the importance of public higher education that is accessible to everyone.
He noted that democracy thrives on an educated populace, and that as our economy becomes more knowledge-based, higher education is the key to economic and national successes.
The speech resonated with many people at UB, all of whom should be concerned about the actions being taken in Congress regarding Pell Grants, the single most important piece of help the federal government gives to low-income students.
The Bush administration has proposed a cut to the program, which could leave 1.2 million low-income students with reduced grants and 100,000 students without any grants at all. Without question, the cut would discourage many low-income students from pursuing a college education.
Pell Grants, which are available in amounts up to $4,000 per year, are available to students of modest or low-income families. The grants used to cover a third of college costs, and they now cover only a quarter because of consistent refusals by Congress to increase the grants - and now, Congress is proposing a cut.
Congressional Republicans, with the support of the Bush White House, tried this once before but ran into protest from families affected, and student aid quickly became an issue in the election. They backed off, and Bush even claimed during the third presidential debate he was expanding the number of students eligible for Pell Grants. (A technical truth, since indeed more students were eligible, but only because a declining economy lead to more low-income families).
But with a "mandate" under their belt, Congressional Republicans are back at it without shame - proposing changed guidelines that would make fewer students eligible for the grants, along with a straight-out reduction in funding for the program.
The attempt to cut Pell Grants underlies a much larger problem with our nation's priorities. Basic needs like education are being ignored at the expense of dropping bombs on foreign countries or tax cuts for the already wealthy.
Dwight Eisenhower once said that "every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."
Those words ring true today, as the richest country in the world is decreasing funding for essentials like education, poverty assistance and health care while increasing military budgets to all-time highs.
With the money spent in Iraq to date, the government could have given over 7 million American students four-year college scholarships, according to the National Priorities Project.
In George Bush's America, occupying a country that doesn't want to be occupied and was never a threat to our country takes priority over creating a well-educated populace, which has both immediate and long-term benefits for our country.
Higher education is a tool of upward mobility for the disadvantaged; in theory, all people should have equal access to a good education they can afford. With increasing tuition and decreasing student aid, such an opportunity is not a reality for many Americans.
A well-educated populace also stimulates our national economy in the long run. As the world economy becomes more skill-oriented, a well-educated workforce is a must. China is already well ahead of the United States in developing a hydrogen fuel cell, demonstrating that innovation is key in the battle of economies on the global scale. China, with its incredibly large labor force and intellectual capital, is posing a serious threat to our economic superiority. If we continue to under-educate our citizens, we are dooming ourselves to failure.
Bush claimed in the third debate he wanted to increase federal student aid, and it's not too late for him to live up to that promise. He can still veto the proposed cuts, and if enough people speak up, perhaps he will.
Many Democrats and some Republicans in Congress have done a good job speaking up for the value of accessible education, and it's time for students, parents, teachers, and administrators like Simpson who value accessible education to stand up as well.
If you are reading this, you are likely already enjoying access to higher education - and as someone afforded that opportunity, it is your responsibility to ensure others have the same chance.
