Clinton raises stakes on student aid debate

As of yesterday, 8,696 SF State students have accepted direct federal student loans totalling $41.7 million, according to Tom Rutter, director of financial services here.

Many of those students are undoubtedly following efforts by some Republicans to end the direct loan program and, according to two recent Clinton administration speeches, cut $10.8 billion from federal student loan programs over the next seven years.

The two "back to school" speeches -- one delivered by Clinton yesterday to students at Southern Illinois University and the other by Secretary of Education Richard Riley to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. -- are also of interest to others besides the students and their families, who will be affected by the final outcome of the debate.

Walter Broadnax, deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, is visiting the Bay area this week. Asked if he thought higher education would be a big issue in Clinton's presidential campaign -- and one that potential opponent Governor Pete Wilson would be vulnerable on -- Broadnax said, "I think so. I think you have to keep talking about being inclusive when you're talking about education. That's what's made the country great. I mean, our country's too damn big to only talk about some small fraction of the population being able to receive an education."

In his speech, Clinton called the GI Bill the program that made the U.S. "the strongest economic power in the world." He also attacked Wilson's higher education policies.

"In the last four years (higher education in California) was cut by 19 percent. And over a two-year period, enrollment dropped by over 10 percent. We need to be increasing enrollment in this country, not decreasing it. We need more people in all of these community colleges and colleges and universities... not fewer people."

And Riley declared California "a great crown jewel of American education" to be "on the verge of a state of emergency, just as hundreds of thousands of additional young people are beating on the doors to go to college."

Riley said there will be 53 million people going to school in 1997 -- the highest total in the country's history.

According to the White House, Republican cuts would also eliminate eligibility for PELL Grants to 360,000 students.

There are currently 6,687 students at SF State who have accepted PELL Grants totalling $12.2 million, said Rutter.

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