College students in California have taken a couple of tough financial hits recently. CSU officials voted last week to raise tuition for the fifth straight year. And legislation now before congress would cut federal financial aid to raise money for hurricane relief. KPBS reporter Beth Ford Roth has more.
The bill would slash funds for federal student aid programs by $15 billion over the next five years in part by limiting subsidies to private companies that lend money to students. It would also raise the maximum interest rate on federal student loans.
Cal State San Marcos student Lorena Pignagrande says hurricane relief should come from private fundraising. She worries about how student aid cuts would impact her campus.
Pignagrande: "I think we might have less students here, we might have students that decide to go elsewhere, we may lose a lot more than what we think we would, really, I don't think that that's fair."
If enacted, the legislation would start effecting students next year. Beth Ford Roth, KPBS news.
