Because everyone should be able to see the doctor when they get sick.

Because we can't wait to solve global warming.

Because Amy Smart says so.

Because we are so close to getting $40 Billion dollars added to the Pell Grant program to increase financial aid for college students!

Because textbooks are a ripoff and CALPIRG passed the first textbooks affordability legislation ever (taking effect 2010!)

Because there is nowhere else you can get lawyers, lobbyists, advocates, organizers and researchers to work for you for only $5 a quarter.

Because we get a lot of great stuff done.  Here are some of our recent accomplishments:

SEPTEMBER 2009: INCREASING STUDENT AID – CALPIRG worked with a national coalition to pass the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act through the House  – a bill that would put $40 billion towards increasing the maximum Pell grant and end subsidies to banks that don't support students.  Students are working to pass this bill through the Senate.

FEBRUARY 2009: STIMULATING THE ECONOMY - CALPIRG organized campus call-in days that helped convince Congress to include several key measures in the economic stimulus package. The final package included a $17 billion increase in Pell grant funding, more work-study aid, and bigger tax credits for low-income students and their families. The bill also included critical funding for programs that will create jobs and protect the environment, including $16 billion for public transit and $78 billion for clean energy and green infrastructure.

NOVEMBER 2008 – PASSAGE OF PROP 1A: HIGH-SPEED RAIL FOR CA – Throughout 2008, students played a critical role in passing Prop 1A to bring a High-Speed train to California. Right before Election Day, students across the state held a huge day of action that educated over 200,000 Californians about Prop 1A. We also put on Forums throughout the state, produced a Public Service Announcement, and got media coverage on the issue.

FALL 2008 – PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YOUTH VOTE– CALPIRG registered 1,600 UC Santa Cruz students to vote and over 20,000 students across California.  We then reminded 60,000 students to vote right before the election. Youth voter turnout increased by 2.2 million votes nationally over 2004 levels.

AUGUST 2008: TEXTBOOK AFFORDABILITY LEGISLATION – Student PIRG advocates and students helped to pass Higher Education Bill H.R. 4137, which contained provisions to require publishers to disclose textbook pricing and revision information to faculty and requires publishers to offer textbooks and supplemental materials “unbundled”. The Bill goes into effect in 2010.

SEPTEMBER 2007: INCREASED STUDENT AID - CALPIRG worked with a national coalition to get Congress and the President to increase federal financial aid funding by $17 billion with the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007- doubling the size of Pell grants and making college loans more affordable.

2006-2007:  GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS – We were the lead group working to pass the green energy initiative on campus so that now 100% of UCSC energy comes from renewables, we also worked to convince the UC regents to commit to zero carbon pollution as soon as possible. CALPIRG students organized in key districts to build support for the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) to place caps on carbon pollution across the state.

2006: PROTECT OUR FORESTS - CALPIRG students in coalition with groups from across California generated over 1000 comments, faculty support, and media attention, resulting in Governor Schwarzenegger petitioning the Bush Administration to protect all 4.4 million acres of National Forest in CA from development.

2006: A MILLION SOLAR ROOFS –This program will create a million new solar homes and businesses over the next ten years and make California the world leader in solar power. CALPIRG students played a vital role in generating thousands of comments, generating media through educational events, building faculty support and convincing key legislators through direct advocacy.