College Affordability in the news

Our first article comes from the Philadelphia Inquirer. With the Wall Street meltdown, many schools are scrambling to find ways to keep students in class and help them pay their tuition bills. This article features Graham B. Spanier, president of Penn State University, explaining what his campus is doing to try and help students. Read the complete article here.

The Denver Post has a guest commentary talking about Amendment 58, which would repeal some oil and gas subsidies and instead funnel the money into scholarships. You can check it out here.

"The Strain to Pay for College," from the Washington Post shared some stories from individuals in the class of 2009 who have been priced out of their chosen Universities. Read the complete article here (free registration required).

Got tuition? at UC Boulder

The got tuition campaign visited UC Boulder this week and we had a great time there. Tons of students showed up to sign our petitions and share their stories. The UC quarterback, Cody Hawkins, was especially excited about our campaign and promised to spread the word at tonight's game against West Virginia (8:30 EST, ESPN). We also got some great press. You can read articles from two campus news sources here and here, and check out the local NBC affiliate's coverage here.

Gov. Ritter of Colorado visits with 'got tuition?'

Sept 12, 2008--Colorado Governor Ritter sat down today with 13 students who attend Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO at a roundtable discussion about college affordability and his efforts to assist Colorado students with their tuition. Last year, the AVERAGE student loan debt at graduation for Arapahoe Community College students was $11,806. Colorado's current need-based financial aid ranks near the bottom in the nation, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

Here in Colorado, there is an initiative on the ballot that tries to address this issue. Amendment 58 will end Colorado's outdated $300 million a year tax subsidy for the oil and gas industry and make smarter investments in Colorado's future. Passage of Amendment 58 will create the Colorado Promise Scholarship Fund. It will TRIPLE the financial aid available to Colorado student, enabling as many as two-thirds of Colorado's families to qualify for scholarships.