What exactly is Million Student March?
The Million Student March is a rally by students who are demanding free tuition to college, all student debts be dropped, and an increase in minimum wage to $15/ hour for all campus employment positions.
Mission Statement:
“We are high school, college, and graduate students, recent graduates, campus workers, former students, parents, and grandparents uniting in a day of action on November 12, 2015 to demand tuition free public college, cancellation of all student debt, and a $15 minimum wage for all campus workers. Education should be free. The US is the richest country in the world, yet students have to take on crippling debt in order to get a college education. The average college graduate of the class of 2015 has over $35,000 in debt. More than forty million Americans share a total of 1.5 trillion dollars in student debt and 58 percent of that is held by the poorest 25 percent of Americans.”
Why is this happening?
College tuition has risen substantially over the past decade. Students and families are outraged because they can barely afford it. Students graduate college with debts up to $100,000. It takes years to even pay off half of the tuition. The debts prevent people from being able to afford cars or homes. These protests have been organized to demand change and show they mean business.
Some statistics:
2014-2015:
Private University (average for one year): $42,419
Public University (average for one year): $18,943
2000-2001:
Private University (average for one year): $30,664
The price of college has increased but the minimum wage has not kept up.
Who started this?
It started with a few student organizers of high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels, as well as former graduates, parents, student parents, faculty and many others.
They were sick of having to deal with tuition increase that would result in a raise in debt after graduation. One of the co-founders of the movement is Northeastern University student Elan Axelbank, who believes the debt crisis is outrageous and changes need to made now.
When did this march begin?
On Thursday, November 12, 2015, a student rally went into action for the right to an affordable education.
Where did it happen?
Over 120 college campuses across the United States joined together on their prospective university grounds to protest their beliefs.
The list of colleges includes and is not limited to:
1. Drexel University
2. University of Pennsylvania
3. Temple University
4. University of Texas
5. Texas State University
6. University of Massachusetts Amherst
7. University of California at Santa Barbra
8. Depaul University
9. Northeastern University
10. William Paterson University
How will its efforts be put to action?
Hopefully, this march will open people’s eyes and give them a better understanding of the struggle for an affordable education. The Democratic Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders believes in this cause and wants to fight for the right to a free public education. It could be the start of a revolution to change education for the better. It brought together all people of universities, from students to workers, making the movement even stronger.
Visit http://studentmarch.org to find out more about Million Student March.
