California Public Higher Education Caucus to address debt

U.S. representatives announced Tuesday the official creation of the California Public Higher Education Caucus, a bipartisan organization that will push for investment in California’s higher education systems.

Students and alumni from the University of California and California State University systems met with the representatives last Thursday in Washington to inaugurate the caucus.

Representatives Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove) and Jeff Denam (R-Turlock) created the caucus with the aim of making an investment in the next generation to ensure that students are able to obtain a college education, said Bera, a former dean of admissions for UC Davis, in a statement.

Nicholas Kitchel, a fourth-year political science student and former National Affairs Chief Deputy for UC Berkeley’s student government, said UC students began working on the idea in 2012.

“We realized that we needed to do something on the federal level to make significant change for higher education in California through Washington,” Kitchel said. ”Graduating without a mountain of debt stopped seeming possible for students.”

Safeena Mecklai, a fourth-year media studies student and the external affairs vice president for UC Berkeley’s student government, said the caucus’ priorities are addressing student debt and eventually tackling issues involving undocumented students.

Mecklai said the reach of the caucus had originally been limited to congressmen who had UC schools in their districts.

The caucus was encouraged to reach out to the CSU system in an effort to gain the support of more Republican officials, Kitchel said.

“In California, there are more Republican officials with CSUs in their districts than there are with UCs,” Kitchel said.

Currently, the Caucus has the official support of 33 members of Congress and is also working on reaching out to the community college system to increase its influence in Washington, Kitchel said.

Compiled by Sam Temblador, Bruin contributor.