Higher Ed

CALPIRG collects signatures to protest possible student loan interest rate increase

Read more about CALPIRG collects signatures to protest possible student loan interest rate increase

Federal bill cuts Pell Grants for about 100,000 students nationwide

Rich Williams, the higher education advocate for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said in a statement that Congress is “blindsiding about 143,000 students next year.”

Read more about Federal bill cuts Pell Grants for about 100,000 students nationwide

Nearly 500 News Stories on Our Work to Stop Student Loan Interest Rates from Doubling!!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

By | Rich Williams

Higher Education Advocate

It was a BIG week for our student loan interest rates campaign starting with a BIG press conference in DC.

The Cost of College Will Soar if Interest Rates Allowed to Double

The loans distributed by the U.S. Department of Education currently hold an interest rate of 3.4 percent. But that rate is set to double if Congress fails to act by July 1, 2012. If that occurs, millions of students will see their interest rates soar to 6.8 percent on the new loans they take in the next year thereby causing a steep rise in their loan burden and effectively increasing the cost of attaining a college degree.

Read more about The Cost of College Will Soar if Interest Rates Allowed to Double

News Release | Higher Ed

Senators Block Bill to Keep Student Loan Interest Rates From Doubling On July 1

“The bottom line is that this is important to future graduates and their families, it is a top concern among students, and has support from across the political spectrum."

Read more about Senators Block Bill to Keep Student Loan Interest Rates From Doubling On July 1

Media Hit | Higher Ed

Obama, Romney focus on student debt as campaign issue

“This should send a clear message to Congress that this is a common sense nonpartisan issue,” said Rich Williams, higher education advocate for U.S. PIRG.

Read more about Obama, Romney focus on student debt as campaign issue

Media Hit | Higher Ed

New York Times: Student Loan Interest Rates Loom as Political Battle

Rich Williams, the higher education advocate for U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said he thought about 14 moderate Republican senators might support the effort to keep the interest rates down. “This should be a bipartisan issue,” he said. “It’s something everyone gets.”

Read more about New York Times: Student Loan Interest Rates Loom as Political Battle

News Release | The State PIRGs | Higher Ed

Students to Congress: Don’t Double Student Debt Rates

Washington, D.C. – With the student loan interest rate about to double this July for almost 8 million loan borrowers, CALPIRG students and coalition partners deliver over 130,000 letters to Congress urging a different plan.

Read more about Students to Congress: Don’t Double Student Debt Rates

Media Hit | Consumer, Higher Ed, Textbooks

Groups target textbook prices to rein in college costs

A push to create free or inexpensive textbooks is gaining momentum as educators, philanthropists and policymakers nationwide search for new ways to rein in college costs.

Read more about Groups target textbook prices to rein in college costs

Testimony of Lucas Zucker on Textbooks Affordability

Friday, February 3, 2012

This week, Lucas Zucker of the CALPIRG chapter at UC Berkeley testified in support of Cheaper Textbooks in the California Legislature. Here is his testimony:

Pages

Get Involved!

Work on important issues, learn valuable skills, get hands-on experience, and make a difference.

Learn More

CALPIRG Students in Action

Students from across the state organize a press conference to STOP CUTS to CalGrants in Sacramento with their elected officials.
UC Berkeley Intern Kat Lockwood speaking to students at Cal about the NO on 23 campaign to protect California’s clean air and global warming law with Van Jones.
UCSB interns host the Textbook Rebellion as part of a national tour to fight high prices and successfully get both TV and print media to report on their event.
Actress Amy Smart speaks at the CALPIRG Statewide Organizing Conference about activism and banning plastic grocery bags.
Four TV, two radio, and two print media cover our High Speed Rail Spring Break Tour stop in the central valley.
UC Davis students kick off a TEXT-2-GIVE table for Somalia Famine Relief on the quad – our efforts statewide raised thousands of dollars for famine relief.
UC Davis CALPIRG Interns Justin Hassis and Manny Rin take a photo petition during the CALPIRG Alternative Spring Break Tour- gathering hundreds of petitions calling for a statewide ban on single use polystyrene containers and plastic bags
UCR, USC, and UCLA interns come together for a joint beach clean-up!
Jared Calinisan, UC Mercd AmeriCorps Member and CALPIRG intern, teaching kids at a local elementary school about energy efficiency (UC Merced educated 1,157 kids in one quarter – way to go!)
UC Merced intern caulking a window as part of our Energy Service Corps program’s work to save Californian’s energy and money while also saving the environment!