‘Students are not ATMs'; college students protest budget cuts

By Laura Diamond

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

College students carried signs warning Georgia's lawmakers that they vote. They reminded budget writers that today's college students are tomorrow's leaders. They pleaded for money, saying that the Legislature is "budget-cutting my future."

Several hundred students from nearly all of Georgia's 35 public colleges united for a rally Monday to protest proposed budget cuts. At one point, the University System of Georgia was facing up to $600 million in cuts for the 2011 fiscal year. While the actual cut will be less -- some officials say $350 million to $400 million -- students said that still puts their education in jeopardy.

Students drove from as far as Athens, Savannah and Augusta to attend the rally, which leaders have been organizing for weeks. Sophomore Courtney Sims was among a group of Savannah State University students that left campus at 5 a.m. to make it to Atlanta.

Sims, a behavioral analysis major, worried the college may have to eliminate his program because of state budget cuts. He's annoyed that his classes are getting larger because the college can't afford to hire more professors. He stressed over getting the courses he needs to graduate in four years.

"They need to see our faces and hear our voices so they can see who they are hurting with these cuts," Sims said. "When you cut money to the colleges, it hurts us. I think they've forgotten that."

Sen. Seth Harp (R-Midland), who is partly responsible for drafting the state's higher education budget, said students should not bear the burden of the cuts. College leaders need to look at consolidating schools, cutting high salaries and other steps, he said.

While lawmakers allocate money to the University System, individual colleges and the state Board of Regents decide how to spend it. The cuts come as Georgia is facing a budget shortfall of more than $1 billion.

Harp said higher education has been a "sacred cow" protected from the deep cuts other agencies already experienced.

"Higher education has absolutely not been singled out," Harp said. "We just don't have the money."

Students said they feel like they're being picked on. A couple of protesters carried a small coffin, inscribed with "R.I.P Georgia Education." Others carried signs saying "Students are not ATMs."

Most student protesters started with the rally at Hurt Park, organized by the University System of Georgia Students for Quality Education, mostly led by student body presidents. Some of these students would later talk with lawmakers and sit in on a meeting of the House Appropriations Committee.

During the rally, the student body presidents read a statement urging lawmakers to protect higher education from severe cuts. "The primary student objective is to preserve the quality of education and the integrity of our degrees" through four priorities: maintaining access to college; allowing students to graduate on time; keeping Georgia's colleges competitive; and attracting and retaining quality professors, according to the statement.

Following the speeches, students marched from Hurt Park to meet with other groups, including Georgia Students for Public Higher Education, already at the Capitol. As they walked, a few students yelled: "Education is under attack, what do we do?" The crowd screamed back: "Stand up, fight back!"

Many students demanded lawmakers increase taxes and find new revenue sources. Others said they would support some cuts, provided they weren't larger than what other state agencies had to absorb. Some said they would pay more in tuition and fees if that would rescue their programs and professors.

Mark Starling, a junior at the University of Georgia, summed up what many students felt with his sign: "I Can't Believe We Have 2 Protest This Crap."

"You don't think you'd need to beg them to let us continue our education," Starling said. "Shouldn't education be safe? My education shouldn't be in jeopardy."