The following is a press release issued by the Office of Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski:
Fremont – Maintaining access to an affordable higher education will be the focus of a Town Hall hosted by Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, May 17 in Room 102 in the OLD Student Union at California State University, East Bay in Hayward.
Wieckowski, a co-author of the Middle Class Scholarship Act introduced by Assembly Speaker John Perez, will describe how the legislation would reduce the cost of attending college by two- thirds for students at a CSU or University of California campus with family incomes of less than $150,000 who do not already have fees covered.
It is estimated that CSU families would save more than $4,000 a year and UC families would save more than $8,100 a year. Community college districts would receive additional assistance to alleviate costs for their students.
Each local district would have discretion to allocate the funds to best meet student needs, such as providing grants to cover books and transportation or expanding the use of fee waivers.
“All Californians deserve access to an affordable higher education, which is vital to the future economic success of our state,” Wieckowski said. “This legislation keeps the door to higher education open for middle class families and will allow students to strive to reach their full potential.”
The scholarships would be paid for entirely by closing a $1 billion wasteful corporate tax loophole that allows out-of-state corporations to elect to lower their California tax bill.
Reducing student loan debt is a priority for Wieckowski.
Earlier this year, he carried legislation to create a student loan default risk index and prohibit colleges with high student loan defaults from receiving Cal Grant funds. The bill demanded more accountability from for-profit institutions that are the worst offenders in saddling students with excessive loan debts.
“Student loan debt is now over $1 trillion in America and our students will be burdened by it for years to come,” Wieckowski said. “It puts a drain on our economy. The documentary “Default” tells the stories of borrowers from different backgrounds and how they are affected by the private student lending industry.”
Wieckowski will be joined at the forum by Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett.
The forum and documentary screening will be preceded by a 12:30 p.m. student rally at the Agora Stage featuring live music from a local DJ, free food and prizes.
- WHO: Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont), and Senate Majority Leader Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro)
- WHAT: Town Hall on the Middle Class Scholarship Act and Documentary Screening
- WHERE: Room 102, OLD Student Union, CSU East Bay in Hayward
- WHEN: 1:30 p.m., Thursday, May 17, 2012
Birgeneau ($450,000 salary) likes to blame the politicians, since they stopped giving him every dollar expected. The Chancellor’s ‘charge more’ instate tuition skyrocketed fees by an average 14% per year from 2006 to 2011-12 academic year. If Birgeneau had allowed fees to rise at the same rate of inflation over the past 10 years they would still be in reach of most middle income students. Increasing funding is not Cal’s solution. As a public university UCB is to maximize access to the widest number of instate students at a reasonable cost with a mission of diversity and equality of opportunity. Birgeneau’s and Provost George Breslauer’s ($306,000 salary) ‘charge more’ instate tuition denies middle income Californians the transformative value of Cal’s education. Chancellor Birgeneau’s tenure is a sad unacceptable legacy. Opinion to: UC Board of Regents marsha.kelman@ucop.edu and Calif. State Senators and Assembly members.
Second, he's a BIG SPENDING Democrat right along with his "no limits spending" associate Senator Corbett. Third, He and Corbett (along with the rest of them) will promise to "GIVE" you anything for "FREE" to get your vote, even if it kills the economy and a future fiscal recovery. Their primary objective is to get re-elected! Fourth, he and his associates will give you your OWN MONEY back for your vote! What's wrong with that for the rational voter? Fifth, what isn't he/they telling you? Always ask a politician what's on the other side of the coin! They constantly only push "their version" of what's going on. It is impossible to make an informed decision on "soft facts." Sixth, young minds (yes, even in college) are easily impressed and often go with whatever "feels" good instead of what is RIGHT TO DO. That's why the liberal Dems have so much success in colleges. The students have zero responsibilities (more or less) in the real world (who works these days while going to college like we used to do years ago?), yet they want those who do have responsibilities (like a real job and who pays the bills/taxes) to yield to their "wisdom" in life (what?)! Seventh, remember, NOBODY gets anything for "FREE" until a business has made a profit. Eighth, if one repeats a lie over and over again (and with a big fan fair) it becomes a "fact." Hitler was a master of this in the 1930's!
THANKX!
Note that a lot of the private scholarship funding in this state now goes to illegal aliens at the same time that Cal-Grants for citizens and legal residents have been drastically cut. For some reason, I'm just not impressed by Mr. W's "ghetto walk" through our neighborhood just before a primary election. Indeed, I will suggest that the middle class he is now so valiantly helping is ignored except right before an election.
For example, I don't care how many children you have or don't have, as long as you don't expect me to feed and clothe them for you. Real conservatives also wonder why extreme liberals are so excitable and full of hate and invective. Maybe you need so more pot, Brash/Summer/Nancy.
The other problem is that many community colleges lack courses for quite a few major fields.