Tuesday, high school and college students as well as faculty and financial aid administrators from throughout the state participated in an advocacy at the New York state legislative building in Albany. Houghton students planned to attend, but were not able due to weather.
The purpose of this was to rally for an increase in NY Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funds. TAP helps thousands of college students who are residents of NY State pay for their educations. According to the NYS Higher Education Service, the maximum amount one can receive in TAP funds is $5,165. TAP is a grant, meaning it does not have to be paid back. With the rise in student debt in recent years, advocacy for more TAP aid has become important for many. Most Houghton students are NYS residents who rely at least in part on TAP, thus making this issue a pressing one for a significant portion of the Houghton community.
The group of Houghton students, which was to be led by Houghton grad Isabeau Higdon ’14, could not make the trip to Albany due to weather conditions. The group was made of students Chaz Ormond ’16, Sarah Schwec ’16, Michael Robrahn ’17, Grace Hollenceck ‘16, and Dani Eaton (’17). The students, all of whom receive or have received TAP, were encouraged to write letters to state legislators detailing NYS students’ reliance on TAP and the need for an increase in the maximum amount provided in place of the trip.
Ormond has high hopes for the outcome of NYS student advocacy. “First, it [TAP] has helped the majority of us, at Houghton College, to afford our education this far. Second, I have benefited [from TAP] because it allows me to have less of a student loan to worry about after I graduate. Though I do not receive the maximum amount, TAP has given me a significant amount that has aided in me paying my student bill for college. I would like to see an increase in the amount of money given to each student.”
Yet there is also the need for government costs to remain manageable too. Ormond noted “I understand that with the increasing student debt, there must be an increasing cost to the government to supply the finances to aid students’ education. Thus, I would suggest better budgeting. Many students are not able to pay back the loans they are given, or take an unnecessary amount of time to do so. I hope to see either an increase in aid, or a decrease in rising costs of tuition.” The latter suggestion continues to be an issue for colleges and universities, especially private institutions like Houghton.