Students need to continue fight for higher education

[Editor’s Note: This guest editorial is in response to the recent decision by the Board of Regents to use other methods besides a midyear tuition increase to deal with budget cuts.]

It’s not over yet.

While the battle to stop a mid-year tuition increase was won by the students, the war to maintain the quality of higher education still remains.

Let us not stop here when our efforts are strong and our voice has just begun to reverberate across the state.

Let us show top state officials that we, the students, mean business and will fight for our rights.

Take that same passion that compelled you to sign the petition, to get your friends on board, rally behind behind your fellow peers and continue to show that the quality of higher education should be a top priority.

The future of Georgia depends on it.

For my fellow HOPE recipients, why you should you care?

Well, I could say that myself given the fact that not only am I on HOPE but graduating in the spring also.

However, this fight was not just about our pocketbook, although that was the easiest way to relate to the students. But rather, it’s about protecting the size of our classrooms, the academic excellence of our professors, the climbing growth of our national rankings, and the prominent seal on our degrees.

Students, I urge you to continue to promote the quality of higher education by writing to your local legislatures and the Governor.

The most successful victory of the tuition petition drive was the collaborative efforts from various students and student organizations on campus as well as the various student governments across the state.

Be proactive when issues similar to this come up again.

Without the positive help and input across Tech’s campus, SGA could not have been successful in expressing the student body’s voice.

I personally thank everyone who took part in some way in this effort.

I look forward to your continue support for other initiatives throughout the year.