Across the country, student governments are pushing national legislators to pass a bill designed to help students attend higher education and cover college expenses.

On Sept. 17, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) by a vote of 253 to 171. The act will be voted on in the Senate on Oct. 15.

If passed, SAFRA will rebuild the federal financial aid system by providing more money to the U.S. Department of Education and get rid of loans the government buys from banks. SAFRA also expands programs to support college enrollment and increase graduation rates.

The United States Students Association (USSA) is the national voice for students on Capitol Hill. The Associated Students of NAU (ASNAU) and several student governments are working with USSA to organize and talk with legislators about the importance of financing higher education to produce a better educated workforce.

ASNAU President Kathleen Templin, a junior political science major, said she hopes SAFRA will help more students attend higher education.

“Finally the federal government is realizing higher education is a priority,” Templin said. 

The government has been slow to raise the amount of scholarships to match inflation, and many students have been unable to pay tuition. The amount of money for loans is supposed to increase every few years, but higher education has not been a high priority during the past decade.

“The cost of college keeps going up, but grants were not going up because the government is not re-authorizing money,” Templin said. “So it created this huge gap students had to pay. When loans to colleges go down, the student loans have to go up.”

One example is the Federal Pell grant, which provides scholarships to students.

“Last year, six million students received the Pell Grant,” Templin said. “If SAFRA is passed, even more students can receive scholarships.”

On Sept. 16, hundreds of students showed their support for college-debt relief. ASNAU set up a booth outside the University Union and had students write the amount they owe on small pink notes. The notes of debt were then stapled to paper bricks. All 802 bricks were counted by the end of the day, with an average debt of $15,575. 

The total amount of debt will be sent to USSA to help persuade legislators to pass the bill.

Abbey Caballero, a junior political science and international affairs major, said grant money does not cut it for many students who are already in college.

“As a student, half of the money I receive comes from scholarships,” Caballero said. “I don’t understand why we pay so much and other countries pay nothing.”

Jessica Lindsey, a junior hotel and restaurant management major, said financial burdens of higher education are making college unaffordable for many people.

“It’s ridiculous,” Lindsey said. “I have so many friends who can’t even get through school.”

Under SAFRA, the federal government will invest more money in the Pell grant. The Pell grant offers $5,550 in individual scholarships to students in 2010 and will increase to $6,900 by 2019.

The Perkins Loan, another federal program, provides loans to need-based students who cannot receive the Pell grant. USSA states on their website that SAFRA will expand the Perkins Loan to more universities and raise funds from $1 billion to $6 billion. 

According to USSA, SAFRA plans to invest $2.55 billion to fund more education programs at post-secondary minority-serving institutions. USSA also said the bill invests $10 billion in community colleges and $3 billion in college access and completion support programs.

Teresa Mabry, the chair for the Women of Color Caucus on the USSA board of directors, said many groups representing different demographics are working to make college more affordable.

“A lot of students are not able to go to school because of funding,” Mabry said. “If we’re not getting [our message] out there, it’s not going to work.”

Currently there are two common ways the federal government gives loans: direct loans and the Financial Family Education Loan Program (FFELP).

“FFELP is expensive for the government,” Templin said. “They give money to banks, which in turn gives money to students. But because banks charge interest rates, the government pays a lot of money for lenders to give money out.”

If the FFELP program were cut, the Congressional Budget Office stated on its website the government could save billions of dollars. SAFRA would then take the saved money and reallocate it toward direct loans to students.

Ali Smart, an Arizona Students Association (ASA) campus organizer, said by eliminating the lender, the government does not pay interest rates to a middleman.

“The schools are fiscally responsible,” Smart said. “So they stand to lose out on money. People who go to college get a better paying job, and they pay more taxes.”

The White House expressed the need for greater access to higher education in the U.S. If SAFRA is approved in the Senate, the bill is expected to be signed by President Barack Obama.

Obama said in a statement he wants five million more students to graduate from community colleges by 2020, and for the colleges to “act as job training centers for the 21st century.”

In addition to providing more money for student loans, the SAFRA bill creates a more simple FAFSA form so students would be less confused about applying for financial aid.  

“They’re making it hard,” said Rasidat Adedej, an ASA intern and freshman political science and chemistry major. “People don’t know how to fill out the FAFSA.”

The IRS will work to make the FAFSA form shorter, less complicated and open to more languages. Filing for financial aid is also difficult for students whose primary language is not English. 

To break down language barriers, Mabry said many students whose primary language is not English will be able to understand the forms better. The 10 most popular languages are going to be options on the new forms.

From Oct. 5-9, ASNAU plans to continue its desire for passing the SAFRA bill. One idea to catch the attention of legislative officials is to stuff the voicemails of Arizona legislators, with a goal of reaching 1,000 phone calls.

“One thousand calls going into an office is a lot,” Templin said. “It sends a clear message that a lot of students want this.”

Templin said SAFRA is essential for the future of the country.

“All over the country last year, legislators cut so much money from the university system, and you can see it on campus,” Templin said. “If you don’t educate your population, then you can’t prosper. They’re starting to realize that.”

For more information or get involved, go to usstudents.org or contact Senators McCain and Kyl at mccain.senate.gov or kyl.senate.gov.