We have come a long way since 1957, when the launch of the Sputnik satellite by the Soviet Union prompted the retaliatory launch by America’s leaders of a wave of student aid programs, intended to ensure our own potential rocket scientists, no matter what their economic status, would have access to the best higher education.

Today’s leaders seem to have lost sight of that commitment, believing a nation that makes a minimal investment can still reap the rewards of an educated citizenry. At both the state and federal levels, the government has been backing away from its obligation to assist those of moderate means in attaining a higher education.

The burden of access has been shifting consistently in recent years away from the public sector and toward the private sector. While trying to practice prudent fiscal management, colleges and universities have also needed to increase institutional financial aid, forcing them to raise tuition for all students and then discount the price to those who can least afford the cost. This comes at the same time politicians are blaming the institutions for those rising tuitions!

At the federal level, student aid has taken a $12 billion hit through the Deficit Reduction Act, and now President Bush wants to slash even more aid programs. The greatest concern is with the stagnation of the Pell Grant Program, which is the backbone of ensuring accessibility to college.

At Ithaca College, 1,089 students qualified for Pell Grants in 2004–05, for a total of $2,835,979 in aid. In 2005–06, those numbers have dropped to 1,015 students for $2,762,000. While the cost of providing a college education is increasing, fewer of our students are qualifying for these grants.

Another area of concern is the proposed elimination of the Perkins Loan program. Currently, 992 Ithaca students are receiving Perkins Loans in the amount of $1,660,000. Carrying a low 5 percent interest rate, these loans have been invaluable in helping students and parents bridge funding gaps. If the Perkins program is dropped, these families will need to seek out private loans, borrowing at higher interest rates that lead to greater debt. Worse yet, they may not have the resources to make them eligible for private loan funding at all.

For students from New York state, it has been an annual struggle to beat back changes in the Tuition Assistance Program that would severely impact their access to higher education. Created in 1974 to help more lower- and middle-income students attend college, TAP originally covered 60 percent of the average tuition cost at a private college or university; today, it covers just 24 percent.

At Ithaca College, 1,703 students are receiving TAP funds, in an amount of $3,704,735. Governor Pataki proposes altering the requirements for TAP eligibility to cut $190 million from the state budget. Under the governor’s plan, TAP awards would be reduced for students taking fewer than 15 credits and for those who hold a GED.

It does no good, of course, to simply complain about the problem. Ithaca College works with a number of higher education advocacy organizations. I am proud to note that 10 of our students were among the hundreds from across New York who traveled to Albany on Feb. 14 to tell state lawmakers their personal stories about the value of public support for higher education.

I urge all of you to make your voices heard. Even those who are not served by a particular aid program will be negatively affected by its loss. To find out more about what you can do, visit www.studentaidalliance.org and www.cicu.org.