2009 was an exciting year for college students nationwide. Students helped secure billions of dollars in federal higher education funding and made international press organizing against state budget cuts and cost hikes. Yet we still face powerful banking lobbyists opposing student aid reform and state legislatures all too ready to balance budgets on the backs of students.
With your help, we can meet these challenges with strength in numbers and conviction as we strive to make 2010 a historic year for higher education. We cannot sit on the sidelines as private lenders spend millions of dollars a week maintaining a status quo that pads their wallets and shrinks yours. It will take a united effort by students to bring about real change in the financial aid system. No matter what the size of your contribution, your participation in the fight to make education a right is critical.
Here's how USSA will put your donation to work in 2010:
Fight for College Affordability. A core mission of USSA is to amplify the student voice in Congress, the White House, and the Department of Education. That voice is needed now more than ever. Private lenders have an army of lobbyists and a war-chest of funds actively engaged in opposing student aid reform. USSA will fight for legislation that allocates tens of billions of government funds away from unnecessary bank subsidies and into need-based financial aid programs that help students reach and graduate from college.
Grassroots Organizing. Real change can only come from the bottom-up. Through the GrassRoots Organizing Weekend (GROW), Electoral Action Training (EAT), and a rigorous field department, USSA will continue to help facilitate peer-to-peer campus organizing efforts to win real student victories.
Increase Student Voter Turnout. Real political power rests at the voting polls. USSA is devoted to promoting youth voter registration, education and get-out-the-vote campaigns that personally engage students in electoral participation and long-term civic engagement. The upcoming 2010 mid-term election is critical for holding our leaders accountable and ensuring that candidates who prioritize college affordability receive the support of students.
With your help, we can win! Thank you for contributing to the fight to make education a right.
Sincerely,
Gregory Cendana, President
United States Student Association
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