Notes From The Annual SG Lobbying Trip

Last week I was given the opportunity to represent all Gators in the annual Student Government lobbying trip in Washington, D.C. While there, we chose four main issues that we believed to be of great importance to all students to discuss with several members of the U.S. Congress. Below is a summary of the main issues we discussed and why:

• Student Loan Interest Rates Although the rates of Stafford loans did double on July 1^st, while on our trip we urged legislators to work towards a solution because of how critical a raise like this can be to students. University of Florida alone has 85% of its students receiving financial aid and approximately 24,798 students who depend on federal funds.

• Pell Grants The Pell Grant program has been protected from cuts but only through the 2013-2014 school year. We urged legislators to continue protecting this program.

• STEM Visas More and more foreign students are graduating from STEM fields but after graduation cannot obtain a visa to stay in this country and work. On this topic, we explained to legislators how important expanded access to these visas is for our students.

• G.I. Bill Tuition Fairness Act (H.R. 357 and S. 257) This Act allows veterans to get in-state tuition rates even if they are not residents of those states in which those schools are located. To honor our veterans, we encouraged legislators to pass this Act.