Chanting "No more cuts!" and "Education should be free!" Solano Community College student Tara Norman joined a large crowd of college and university students Monday for a boisterous rally and protest in Sacramento against more cuts to higher education. More than 1,000 college students from across California converged on the Capitol to decry slashed budgets and rising fees at public universities and community colleges.
"I was excited to see so many people were there caring about higher education and we were all there for the same cause," Norman said.
The March on March for Higher Education included students walking from Raley Field in West Sacramento to the North Steps of the Capitol to demand more funding for public education.
Lasting several hours, it was the third such major protest this month.
Nearly 25 Solano College students took part, some carrying a large banner, and signs with such slogans as "Don't Kill My Education" and "No More Cuts. I Need My Education."
Nearly 30 students from Napa Valley College also participated, including Alex Shantz, who is worried about higher tuition and other fees.
"It was empowering to a lot of people," Shantz said. "People were demanding and were fired up. They are angry because the economy is bad and they are cutting so much for education."
Another student, Amoriah Hartley, 31, a sociology student at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, said she was worried her campus would stop providing
Advertisement
free tutoring and writing assistance to students because of budget cuts.Hartley, who hopes to transfer to a four-year university and become a social worker, urged Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature to consider raising taxes to protect education funding.
Cuts in state funding have led to class cutbacks, staff layoffs and sharp fee hikes at the 10-campus University of California, the 23-campus California State University system and 110 community colleges.
California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott spoke, drawing attention to the $520 million in cuts the community college system sustained this year.
Scott said he hoped the strong showing would persuade state lawmakers to protect funding for two-year colleges that have seen funding cut by 8 percent this academic year despite record demand for classes.
"I hope legislators will understand how deep students care about their education," Scott told The Associated Press. "By denying students their education, we're going to hurt our state economically."
California Secretary of Education Bonnie Reiss issued a statement following the rally, urging state lawmakers to ensure higher education does not withstand further cuts.
"We must do everything possible to ensure that every student wishing to pursue higher education has the access and the resources necessary to earn a degree and build a brighter future," Reiss said.
Amoriah Hartley, 31, a sociology student at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, said she was worried her campus would stop providing free tutoring and writing assistance to students because of budget cuts.
Hartley urged Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature to consider raising taxes to protect education funding.
"If we are all a bunch of tightwads, we're not going to get anywhere as a country," she said.