Senator Cardin Visits FSU
Senator holds round table discussion with students and faculty
Lelia Walsh
Issue date: 2/21/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Senator Ben Cardin paid a visit to Frostburg State University last Sunday afternoon to speak with students and faculty.
After a weekend of skiing, Maryland’s newly elected democratic senator, Ben Cardin, took advantage of the opportunity to meet with several of the university’s top students and faculty to discuss their concerns with the rising cost of higher education.
The forum was held in the President’s Conference room and was attended by several student and faculty members of the Hallstar Program, the Political Science Department and other student volunteer organizations.
“I am very interested in hearing about some of the unique opportunities that you all are working with and some of the programs that you are involved in, so I very much appreciate this opportunity to speak to the students in particular,” said Senator Cardin.
President Gibraltar opened the discussion with his concern, shared by many Frostburg students with “the ever increasing cost of tuition at public universities.”
“I just want to underscore my concern,” said Cardin. “The cost of a public university in Maryland is beyond the ability of most families to pay. So students are borrowing the money in order to do it and it does limit your career options. It limits your future. Too many students, too many families are using the cost of the education to make a decision as to which college to attend.”
Cardin sits both on the Budgeting and Foreign Relations committees and notes that he sees these positions as an opportunity to encourage a change in priorities at the federal level and to help “shift some of the discretionary federal spending into education”. He emphasizes the Bush Administration’s focus on tax cuts for the wealthy and the ever increasing shift in funding to the Iraq War are two of the main causal elements of the rising cost in college tuition.
“There’s just not enough funds for education. We have to make a much stronger commitment to public education and we haven’t done that. Frankly the problem with the federal budget is that the priorities are going in the wrong direction,” declared Cardin. “That is what I am committed to change in Washington.”
Cardin discussed the need to look at increasing funding for the Federal Pell Grant and several loan programs that offer loan forgiveness for those graduates that enter into some realm of public service, through the military or other community service programs. He explained that such programs lessen the amount of debt students incur and open up new career options to those whose future would otherwise be limited by working to repay that debt.
During the discussion, Senator Cardin also told the students of the senatorial internships that are offered.
“One of the greatest challenges that we are facing right now is the shortage of those in America who understand what is happening in the Middle East,” he said. “We do have a summer internship program [for] college students which can be helpful to get you exposure to the political realities of this system. Also, we do have some fellowship programs, after graduation, in which students may work in certain areas. [W]e welcome students that have particular desire to understand areas that are compatible with what is going on in Iraq.”
Interested students may find applications online and Cardin noted that the deadlines are in late march.
The surprise forum was a unique opportunity in which Frostburg students were able to meet with and express their concerns to Senator Cardin. Judging by their positive remarks, it is one experience that they will not soon forget
After a weekend of skiing, Maryland’s newly elected democratic senator, Ben Cardin, took advantage of the opportunity to meet with several of the university’s top students and faculty to discuss their concerns with the rising cost of higher education.
The forum was held in the President’s Conference room and was attended by several student and faculty members of the Hallstar Program, the Political Science Department and other student volunteer organizations.
“I am very interested in hearing about some of the unique opportunities that you all are working with and some of the programs that you are involved in, so I very much appreciate this opportunity to speak to the students in particular,” said Senator Cardin.
President Gibraltar opened the discussion with his concern, shared by many Frostburg students with “the ever increasing cost of tuition at public universities.”
“I just want to underscore my concern,” said Cardin. “The cost of a public university in Maryland is beyond the ability of most families to pay. So students are borrowing the money in order to do it and it does limit your career options. It limits your future. Too many students, too many families are using the cost of the education to make a decision as to which college to attend.”
Cardin sits both on the Budgeting and Foreign Relations committees and notes that he sees these positions as an opportunity to encourage a change in priorities at the federal level and to help “shift some of the discretionary federal spending into education”. He emphasizes the Bush Administration’s focus on tax cuts for the wealthy and the ever increasing shift in funding to the Iraq War are two of the main causal elements of the rising cost in college tuition.
“There’s just not enough funds for education. We have to make a much stronger commitment to public education and we haven’t done that. Frankly the problem with the federal budget is that the priorities are going in the wrong direction,” declared Cardin. “That is what I am committed to change in Washington.”
Cardin discussed the need to look at increasing funding for the Federal Pell Grant and several loan programs that offer loan forgiveness for those graduates that enter into some realm of public service, through the military or other community service programs. He explained that such programs lessen the amount of debt students incur and open up new career options to those whose future would otherwise be limited by working to repay that debt.
During the discussion, Senator Cardin also told the students of the senatorial internships that are offered.
“One of the greatest challenges that we are facing right now is the shortage of those in America who understand what is happening in the Middle East,” he said. “We do have a summer internship program [for] college students which can be helpful to get you exposure to the political realities of this system. Also, we do have some fellowship programs, after graduation, in which students may work in certain areas. [W]e welcome students that have particular desire to understand areas that are compatible with what is going on in Iraq.”
Interested students may find applications online and Cardin noted that the deadlines are in late march.
The surprise forum was a unique opportunity in which Frostburg students were able to meet with and express their concerns to Senator Cardin. Judging by their positive remarks, it is one experience that they will not soon forget
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