Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

A free and responsible press serving the UMass community since 1890

Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Letter to the editor: Students coming together to make demands for more affordable higher education Thursday

(Robert Rigo/Daily Collegian)
(Robert Rigo/Daily Collegian)

To the editor:

The notion of working your way through college is dead. Most of us who work during college are getting paid just enough to make a small dent in our living expenses. Consequently, we need to take on more student loans than ever to cover tuition and the rest of the basics.

With college costs skyrocketing and wages stagnating, 41 million Americans are now saddled with $1.3 trillion in student debt. At the University of Massachusetts, the average student graduates with roughly $29,000 of student loan debt, according to a 2014 report, which is a travesty for a public university. UMass should be a driver of socioeconomic mobility and equality instead of contributing to our out of balance debt-based economy.

Because state and federal decision-makers have done little to boost wages and hold the higher education system accountable for the student debt crisis, students are coming together to demand a future that works for us. This Thursday in front of the Student Union, students at UMass are joining our peers at over 100 universities in the Million Student March. Together we are raising our voices for tuition-free public college, cancellation of student debt and a $15 minimum wage for all campus workers. The status quo isn’t working – but we can create a higher education system that allows students and our communities to thrive.

Erika Civitarese is a leader of the Student Labor Action Project at UMass.

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  • L

    LANov 22, 2015 at 10:16 pm

    Interesting read however it lacks credibility until you put forth a plan for how free university education and forgiving student debt will be paid for. Grow up – Johnny Taxpayer isn’t required to pay for you to major is basket weaving, kill time at sit-in protests and smoke weed while complaining about your perceived micro aggressions.

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  • K

    KBNov 10, 2015 at 11:24 am

    Erika ..you might look into the Administrator-Professional / Teacher ratio today as opposed to say 1970 to see just what ..and who UMASS is spending all your money on.
    Hey guess what?… you just paid for the new assistant to the assistant to the associate vice provost that they just hired!

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