Despite being promised an opportunity to speak about the effects of budget cuts, college students in Washington were discouraged from offering personal testimonies while lobbying for financial aid at a State Senate meeting in Olympia on Jan. 13.
 
After previously inviting students to speak personally about cuts, the Senate decided earlier this week they would only allow comments on the proposed budget legislation, rather than students’ experience with higher education as a whole. Some student leaders still offered arguments for maintaining funding for the financial aid program, work-study programs, the Washington Scholars program and the State Need Grant.
 
Legislators are faced with patching up a $2.6 billion budget hole.
 
Sarah Reyneveld, a University of Washington law student and vice president of the Graduate and Profesional Student Senate, was among those who testified. She stressed the importance of state-funded programs to graduate students.
 
ASUW director of government relations Jono Hanks also attended the hearings, and said the cost of education should be a priority.
 
"The main concern is tuition," he said. "[Tuition] concern is not just for today. It's about the future also."

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