SGA presidents from Alabama universities held a joint-press conference today to announce the contents of an open letter addressed to lawmakers, according to a press release from the Alabama Higher Education Partnership.
The letter encourages legislators to consider the findings of a recent University of Alabama Education Policy Center study.
The SGA Presidents work together through the University Student Presidents Council which is organized under the umbrella of the Alabama Higher Education Partnership. The Partnership is the advocacy organization for Alabama's public universities.
“Because over 85 percent of the Education Trust Fund’s revenue comes from income and sales tax, we know that increasing income-earnings potential for Alabamians is one of the key ways we can increase investment opportunities for all of education: Pre-K through PhD,” said Auburn University SGA President Walker Byrd.
The letter explained that Alabama’s public universities have taken a combined funding cut of around 34 percent since 2008, which ranks as the second deepest cuts in the nation. The letter also said for every $1,000 increase in state higher education funding there is a reciprocal $8.7 million increase in total per capita income.
“My peers from around the state have come together today to stand in solidarity with one another, because we understand the tremendous impact our public universities have on the well being of Alabamians,” said University of Alabama SGA President Elliot Spillers.
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