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America-based Guyanese students are worried about their college future

Mar 09, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
Guyanese American students, as well as other students, are badly hurting from the ongoing economic slump in America being forced to pay higher tuition and facing a cut back in educational services. The federal and state governments have cut back on financial aid to needy college students. Needy students are entitled to college grants which are used to underwrite their college education, but there have seen severe cuts over the year with the result that students have had to pay more of their college education.
Faced with declining tax revenue, massive budget shortfalls, and rising unemployment, states have slashed funding for education and raised tuition. Some colleges have cancelled some courses to save money and terminated instructors. That is not good for Caribbean people and others.
State governments have raised tuition at public universities in order to make up for the cut in aid. State owned colleges have had the lowest tuition, partly underwritten by the government. The budget cuts for education and rising tuition have fed into anger among students, including Guyanese, who are engaged in rallies across the nation to pressure governments to restore the aid and reverse tuition increases.
There are rowdy marches in NY reminiscent of those in the 1970s when free college education ended in NY and during the 1980s when President Ronald Reagan cut aid to colleges.
I missed the era of free public education by two years but witnessed Caribbean people rallying against rising tuition during the 1970s at City College. Yours truly and a few friends joined in those demonstrations in Harlem and in midtown Manhattan against cuts in college grant and rising tuition.
Community activist Barack Obama in mid-1980s had come to City College to assist us in the struggle against cuts in aid.
Unfortunately, he is now the President who is presiding over budget cuts. But to his credit, he has boosted funds for education giving the money to state governments. But the money is not enough to make up for budget woes in the states which are forced to cut education grants.
Recently, students and professors marched at college campuses, public parks and government buildings in several cities. It was called the March 4 Day of Action to Defend Public Education.
The student protest was one of several demonstrations against education cuts held at campuses around the nation.
Guyanese like other students are worried about their college future. It was good to learn that Caribbean Americans joined in those rallies especially in the NY area to force President Obama to pay attention to them. More crippling financial problems are in the making over the next few years. Without Obama’s intervention in underwriting college education, many will be forced to abandon plans for higher education.
Vishnu Bisram

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