University of Washington President Mark Emmert made it clear to students that their input could be the key to saving their financial aid.

Knowing their future funding is at stake, UW students did just that, addressing legislators, faculty, and staff at the annual pre-session legislative reception Dec. 9 put on by the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW).

Previously, Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire proposed a 50-percent cut to state need-based aid in the 2010 supplemental budget.

"Statistics are nice, but stories of everyday students are very compelling," Emmert said. "We need to tell the stories of what it means to not have that financial aid, in very clear and very direct fashions."

Cruz Credle, president of ASUW Tacoma, shared his story about the Husky-Promise grant.

“I’m actually a Husky-Promise student,” he said, “This has allowed me to be the first of my siblings to go to college. I’m a role model for my little nieces and nephews.”

The ASUW started a Political Action Network in November, and since its creation more than 500 students have joined. PAN has already had success in using grassroots email campaigns to ensure the continuation of the U-PASS, a low-cost transportation card for students and faculty.
PAN’s leaders hope it will spark students to further voice their support for higher education.

After listening to students tell stories about how important financial aid is to their education at the legislative reception, Washington State Senator Paull Shinn said their strategy showed exactly the stories he was looking for.

"As the chair of [the] higher education [committee] for four years and vice chair for eight years, every time students come talk to me, it affects me—my thinking, more than anything," he said.

"There are lobbyists, professional lobbyists; they come and that's their job...but students are sincere, they're speaking from the heart."


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