General Studies Lounge

The GSSC has heard your call. GS students face some of the most debt-ridden situations in all of Higher Education, let alone the Ivy league. Tonight in a historic vote, the GSSC has unanimously passed the following Resolution calling on the University to rescue our students from the crushing effects of debt.

for a video of the proceedings (4 short minutes) - click here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5187112689198752352&hl=en

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF GENERAL STUDIES
STUDENT COUNCIL

March 4, 2008

WHEREAS, attending Columbia University’s School of General Studies (GS) full-time costs more than $60,000 annually; and

WHEREAS, the majority of GS students bear the financial burden of their education by themselves only; and

WHEREAS, GS has no algorithm for its merit-based financial aid system and if it does, said structure has not been made public; and

WHEREAS, GS offers no need-based institutional financial assistance; and

WHEREAS, the average GS student graduates with more than $60,000 in student loans (according to survey of seniors self-reporting their current personal educational debt load) which is significantly more than the $16,358, as of 2006-2007, that is incurred by the average Columbia College graduate; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Stafford Loan program grants a maximum of $46,000 in federally guaranteed loans, GS students are forced to mortgage their futures by committing to private loans at substantially higher interest rates; and

WHEREAS, it should be the goal of the school as well as the university to attract students based on intellectual abilities and individual achievements; and

WHEREAS, this lack of financial aid may motivate many of the best and brightest non-traditional students to pursue their educations at competing and peer institutions; and

WHEREAS, any further commitments in need-based financial aid towards students in Columbia College and SEAS without parallel commitments to students in the School of General Studies creates a disproportionate subsidizing of the University at the expense of the students in the School of General Studies;

Be it therefore RESOLVED, that the General Studies Student Council (GSSC) calls upon the School of General Studies to develop an algorithm for merit-based aid and to offer transparency to its students as to the definition of said merit; and

Be it further RESOLVED, that the GSSC calls upon Columbia University to augment and reform its financial aid commitments for all Columbia University undergraduates: Columbia College, SEAS, and the School of General Studies; and

Be it further RESOLVED, that the School of General Studies student body calls upon Columbia University to “do the right thing” and rectify the current financial aid disparity by rescuing its most vulnerable students – those enrolled in the School of General Studies - from the burden of unreasonable and disproportionately large college debt; and

Be it finally RESOLVED, that with the full backing of the GSSC, the 3 School Financial Aid Task Force will take up the initiative of lobbying Columbia University and its Trustees for parity in financial aid, transcending school affiliation.