The Legislature will be meeting this week. Please forward this important and timely information to all interested parties. Read to the bottom to find a sample letter & the email & phone contact information to let your voice be heard. Thank You.
As you've probably heard, the governor is planning on eliminating Cal Grants for students for the 2009-10 school year. This budget cut will affect your child whether or not he/she will be receiving a Cal Grant, because the removal of the Cal grants will affect the remaining budgets for the universities. As a result, the remaining university funds will have to be redistributed, thereby resulting in reductions or elimination of any kind of proposed grant aid to ALL California university students and potential reductions of class offerings and services for the students.
Over 252,000 California students are currently receiving funds from Cal Grants. At UCLA, approximately 7,000 students receive Cal Grant Funding annually totaling $46 million dollars. All other UC and CSU campuses will be affected as well.
Last week, Governor Schwarzenegger submitted a new proposed budget that would make a number of spending cuts, including a phased elimination of the Cal Grant program. Students who are currently receiving Cal Grants would continue to have their awards renewed as long as they are eligible. However, all new awards for the 2009-10 year, approximately 116,200 new awards, would be cancelled. Over the next few years, all Cal Grants would be eliminated.
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee will be holding hearings on cuts to education this week and deliberating this serious matter, and it is important they hear your voice on this very critical issue which affects college access and your continued enrollment.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY! Please contact the members of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee by email or by fax using the contact information provided below. Additionally, we strongly encourage you to send this similar communication to your specific Senate and Assembly state representatives in your home district .Let them know how these cuts will affect you, your younger siblings, and other California students like you who need Cal Grant assistance to help finance a college education.
