Elimination of 22,500 Cal Grants will take serious toll on students

Gov. Schwarzenegger’s proposal to eliminate 22,500 competitive Cal Grants is a serious blow to an education system on the ropes. California’s colleges are already winded by the one-two punch of consistent budget cuts and the current depression (beg pardon, I meant recession). This new proposal is a harbinger of harder times ahead ““ while students at private schools are untouched by the rising tuition at California’s public colleges, Cal Grant recipients attend private and public schools alike.

The Cal Grants A and B are awarded to California residents. The awards are based on information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which must be filled out every year. Cal Grants are divided into two categories: “entitlement” and “competitive” grants. Entitlement grants are awarded to California residents enrolled at least half-time at public and private colleges as well as some private career colleges in California who maintain a satisfactory GPA as determined by their respective schools.

The 22,500 competitive grants are awarded to students who have failed to qualify for entitlement grants, but have nonetheless proven need. Competitive grants are not guaranteed as entitlement grants are and are allocated based on a point system. Despite this, students on competitive Cal Grants are in much the same position as any other Bruin (or any other Californian collegian) on financial aid.

Second-year English student Claire Hellar is on a Cal Grant, as is her older brother at UC Santa Barbara. Her younger brother, a high school senior, is applying to schools in California as well, and may also be eligible for a Cal Grant. Hellar stated, “I would probably have to attend a community college” or take out loans if the Cal Grant was eliminated.

Hellar’s concerns were echoed by second-year psychology student Heather Cavion. Cavion works as a supervisor at the Hill Top Shop, using her salary to supplement her Cal Grant B and to take some financial pressure off of her family. Cavion expressed worry that the absence of a Cal Grant would force her to take out student loans, and that the subsequent debt would postpone ““ or even nullify ““ her plans for graduate school.

Cavion and Hellar do not have competitive Cal Grants, so their funding is untouched for now ““ but cuts tend to spread. While optimistic sources see the recession ending in late 2009 or 2010, California will likely be dragging its $15.2 billion deficit into 2010 even if the American economy begins to recover. With continual money woes, it wouldn’t be a big step for Sacramento to go from cutting some Cal Grants to cutting all of them.

I tried looking for students with competitive Cal Grants to interview, who would be hit immediately by this. I found plenty of students who had Cal Grants, but who weren’t sure about how their financial aid worked. (Do I have the competitive grant, the entitlement grant, or federal money?) This obliviousness, in itself, is frightening. You can check financial aid information by logging into MyFAO with your URSA and MyUCLA login information. Not knowing where your money comes from is dangerous.

The budget is not an alien, incomprehensible monster light-years away from your life and mine. Its effects can be felt here, now, at UCLA. Ever wonder why your upper-division history class doesn’t have discussion sections? Budget cuts. Did you have trouble enrolling in a class you needed (like English Composition 3) because sections were cancelled? Budget cuts. Next year, when your friend drops out, that cute girl in your honors biology class can’t get coffee later because she has to work two jobs, or your roommate needs to take out another loan, do you know what you can blame? Budget cuts.

This Cal Grant proposal is just the latest display of Sacramento’s disregard for higher education. The only difference now is that everyone gets to worry, regardless of whether we go to UCLA or Stanford. Students are still climbing over each other trying to get into UCLA, and public universities have always advertised themselves as offering Ivy-League quality for cheap. Let’s help ensure that the Bruin experience is worth the effort and comes without a crippling price tag.

If you’re angry because you didn’t get a Cal Grant, then e-mail Sukaton at [email protected]. Send general comments to [email protected].