On the second of February, three Houghton students, Connor Barnes ‘18, Daniel Merriam, ‘17 and Michael Sievers ‘18 were joined by Student Accounts Manager, Isabeau Higdon, to lobby state representatives in Albany in support of the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Many college students in New York rely on TAP funds to help pay for their education. The grant is provided by the state and can range up to $5,165. The money, which does not need to be paid back, is awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need.
“Knowing that it can, in some cases, be the deciding factor in whether or not people are able to attend college, Houghton felt that it was a good opportunity to be an advocate for continuing to use this to open doors and opportunities to students,” said Barnes,
The students attended the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Albany as part of the New York Student Aid Alliance Advocacy Day. The event is an opportunity for students from secondary education institutions across New York to lobby in support of state financial programs. It teaches students how to argue for their views as articulate constituents. The majority of this work was done in the “Well” of the LOB where representatives and citizens can intermingle freely.
Higdon said, “Students have the opportunity to meet with assemblymen and senators from their home region of the state in person to share how aid financially enables them to obtain their education and request that their representatives support NYS student financial aid. It allows senators and assemblymen to associate faces, names, and personal stories with the aid programs as they work on the legislation involving these programs.”
The students left campus on the first of February in the afternoon and stayed at a hotel in Albany. Early the next morning, they arrived at the capitol building and toured the campus. Each student met with at least two assigned representatives. Barnes met Assemblyman Robert Oaks and Senator Michael Nozzolio. Merriam met Senator Catherine Young and Assemblyman Joseph Giglio. Sievers met Senator Pattie Ritchie and Assemblyman William Barclay. Barnes said the representatives were friendly and eager to hear the students’ opinions. They understood the positive effect of TAP funds and expressed interest in working to protect them.
“While TAP may not be as large as federal aid for some, it is still an important aspect of funding that provides broader access to higher education for NYS residents,” said Sievers, “I found the trip to be educational in itself. As someone who does not follow much of anything related to politics I was at first skeptical to go on the trip, but I decided it would be wise to try something new and outside my norm.”
Sievers added that he appreciated the opportunity to see politics in action as well as having the chance to be involved “beyond just voting on election day or sharing my opinions on social media.” He continued, “Meeting the people who represent us and getting up close and personal with the political process gave me an appreciation for those in office I likely would not have gained otherwise. I would encourage others to consider opportunities like this and others in the future.”