Saint Martin’s students to rally at the State Capitol in support of state student aid

February 23, 2010

Lacey, Washington — Saint Martin’s University students will be visiting the State Capitol this Thursday, February 25 to voice their support of state student aid. They will be joined by students from other private universities, including Seattle Pacific University, Pacific Lutheran University, and University of Puget Sound, in a concerted effort to convince state legislators that student financial aid programs, such as the Washington State Need Grant, need to be restored to the budget.

“Many students rely on state financial aid to attend college and the money that is given to them is pretty substantial,” says Ahmadou Seck, president of the Associated Students of Saint Martin’s University. “With the present economic conditions affecting many families throughout the state, the cutting back of these programs will result in a lot of students unable to pay to stay in school here at Saint Martin’s and other universities in the state.”

On Thursday, the students, along with staff from the Independent Colleges of Washington, will meet with state legislators throughout the day, gathering for a rally on the steps of the State Capitol around 12 noon.

As Saint Martin’s President Roy Heynderickx wrote in an editorial earlier this month, “It would be a shame if [student aid programs]such as the State Need Grant [were] cut or eliminated at a time when access to higher education is needed most. ... In Washington state, higher education has been a key economic driver. We have an obligation to the current generation to help provide access to higher education.”

Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year, Catholic, coeducational university located on a 380-acre wooded campus in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 18 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250 students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its main campus, and 650 more to its extension campuses located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Olympic College, Centralia College, and Tacoma Community College.

For additional information:

Genevieve Canceko Chan
Director of communications & marketing
Saint Martin’s University
360-438-4332
gchan@stmartin.edu
www.stmartin.edu