Students at SUNY New Paltz held a walkout at 12 p.m. this past Thursday as a protest against rising tuition. The flyer I was handed during my morning break read, “What would the institution be without us?” College students across the United States collectively asked this question with their demonstrations. The images and videos of students banding together have spread like wildfire across social media through the hashtag #MillionStudentMarch.
There is only one presidential candidate whose words mirror those participating in the Million Student March protests. In fact, he has already taken action. Earlier this May, Bernie Sanders introduced a bill to the Senate entitled the College for All Act. In addition to making universities tuition free, the bill reforms current student loan rates by nearly cutting them in half. It also helps students to refinance their loans for lower rates, simplify the student aid process and expand work study programs.
However, the question on everyone’s mind is: “That’s great but how will he pay for it?” After all, we are just college students looking for another handout, right? And we all know that those handouts are only for the super wealthy, corporations who evade taxes and firms that have taken our tax money in the form of bailouts and tax breaks. Well, enough is enough.
Introducing the Robin Hood Tax. Sanders plans on funding this act by imposing fees on Wall Street speculation. We’re talking investment houses, hedge fund companies and other speculators. Remember them? The ones who played a major part in the destruction of our economy a few years back? Those are the companies who will be paying for this. We need to stop treating college students like walking dollar signs.
Bernie Sanders hasn’t changed his stance on the rising cost of education like his political rivals. He’s facing this head on and will not waver, just like us. There was a time in this country when public universities were tuition-free and our workforce was the best in the world. Instead of being crushed under student loan debt, we should be graduating ready to take on the world and contribute to the economy. Student loan debt prevents our generation from opening businesses, buying houses and stimulating the economy. We put off everything that previous generations took for granted.
Sanders has been fighting for us just as hard as we are fighting for ourselves. When the primary election comes around, I hope we’ll have his back and then take our voices straight to the White House.
