Fund Our Future: Reversing State Disinvestment through Student - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Fund Our Future:

Reversing State Disinvestment through Student Advocacy

Elena Sakopoulos Midwest Organizer

Tuition Trends – State Disinvestment

National Picture

Student debt totals over 1 TRILLION – second largest source of debt in the country

• The Pell Grant makes it possible for almost 8 million low- and

moderate-income students to attend college

• The Pell Grant has not kept pace with the rise in college costs:

in in 2016, covered le less than 30% of the cost of four-ye year public c co college.

• 30 years ago, it covered over 50% of the cost of attending a

public four-year university

Pell Grant

Illinois Higher Ed Funding

Average 4-year tuition in Illinois: $11,990 Illinois has the 5th highest in-state tuition in the country Average 4-year student debt: $28,984 MAP grants cover only about 30 percent of student need

What does the future hold in IL?

So what can we do?

What is advocacy?

ADVOCACY: The act of attempting to influence public policy by educating stakeholders (lawmakers and the public) and urging them to take action § We do this by: § Providing stakeholders with facts, trends, and data § Keeping stakeholders updated with new information § Sharing our personal stories § Making “hard asks”

Federal & State Support for Higher Ed Federal

Virtually no direct support for

institutions Provides federal financial aid (Pell Grants, Federal loan program)

State

Direct budget support to public institutions State-based financial aid programs (Illinois MAP program)

Sharing student stories is central to our advocacy!

General tips

Dress like you’re going to Grandma’s Be flexible: prepare for a chaotic environment and last-minute changes

Know Your Audience

Familiarize yourself with your legislator, their background, and their history § Where are they from? What’s in their district? § How do they stand on higher ed? § Voting history on key legislation § Committee membership § What do they look like?

ILGA.gov OpenStates.org

Know Your Audience

UNDECIDED Explain why this matters to you personally Follow up with answers to questions CHAMPIONS: co- sponsors, leaders Thank them! Ask how students can help OPPONENTS Thank them, move on SUPPORTERS Ask them to take on a leadership role

Meeting Roles

Note-taker – one person should thoroughly document the meeting, especially the commitments of the person you’re meeting

• with. Be sure to take down

any follow-up requests. Facilitator – manage the course of the meeting, deliver the core message, make a hard ask. This person helps keep the meeting moving along. Storytellers – EVERYONE can provide personal stories

Starting the conversation

• 1. Introduce yourself and share your personal story
• “Hi, I’m Victor, and I’m a student at UIC studying political
• science. I depend on the MAP grant to attend school”
• 2. Introduce your topic
• “I wanted to talk to you about the MAP grant. As you know,

there hasn’t been any funding for MAP grants this year.”

• 3. Make a hard ask
• “Will you urge the Higher Education Committee to

introduce legislation funding MAP for the 2016-2017 school year?”

• 4. Wait for their response and engage them in conversation

Keep in mind…

§ “Universal but different” § Rebuttals § Facts and data matter, but don’t get bogged down in the details (don’t guess or speculate!) § Leave something behind if possible

Legislator Rebuttals

Dismissive legislators “YOU work for us. What do you say to your constituents who are left without options to enter the workforce?” Patronizing legislators “We are here to share our experiences and understanding

• f the issue. You don’t have to

agree with our analysis, but please listen to our experiences.” Clueless legislators “As our elected official, you have a responsibility to come up with solutions on our behalf. Can you commit to looking into additional revenue-raising options?” Sympathetic legislators “Thank you for your support. We really need your leadership – can you talk to leaders in your party?”

Impromptu meetings

HALLWAY Ask if they have a minute Don’t stop them if they are rushed or

• n the phone

Be wary of eavesdroppers OFF THE FLOOR Write your name and school on a business or index card, hand to door guard by chamber Be friendly and prepared to wait

If you can’t set up a meeting, call your legislator “off the floor” or find them in the hallways of the Capitol.

Keep in touch!

YoungInvincibles.org @YoungInvincible FB.com/together.invincible #FundOurFuture #InvestInMe

Elena Sakopoulos elena.sakopoulos@younginvincibles.org 707-815-3917