Petition Tag - tuition

On the 6th of December 2011, Aberdeen City Council will meet to discuss proposals which are set to “withdraw music tuition” in Aberdeen.

After the successful peaceful demonstrations and campaign of last year, assurance was given that the Music Service was safe - albeit with a massively reduced budget. Clearly that was not true – the cut proposal is back in this years Priority Based Budgeting: Draft financial budget 2012-2013 5-Year Business Plan that published on 2nd November. (http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/nmsruntime/saveasdialog.asp?lID=41080&sID=13437)

Aberdeen’s excellent Instrumental Service should be protected and taken off the table as far as making budget cuts are concerned. Withdrawing Music tuition completely will impact on many of our children’s lives. The vision for Music in the recently introduced Curriculum for Excellence for Scotland is “Performing and creating music will be prominent activities for all learners.”

Pupils who wish to learn an instrument will not have ready access to an instructor or an instrument as present and will probably have to buy their own – an option not available to many.

The Aberdeen City Council’s proposal to withdraw Music Tuition is completely at odds with the Scottish Governments stated entitlement for children.

The Music Service in Aberdeen when compared with other Scottish music service budgets costs less per child. Compare this with the fact that more than 40% of the children taking part in National Orchestras, Brass and Jazz bands come from Aberdeen City - value for money indeed!

Last year the Music Service had its budget slashed by £520k – not the £170k claimed in the new Priority Based Budget on the ACC website – and it now operates on a budget of £789k from Aberdeen City Council for its 3000 pupils.

Although the ‘Withdraw Music Tuition’ option is below the red line and is therefore under the heading of “ undesirable to progress,” it is precariously close to the red line and would become a very real option should any of the cuts above it fail to get approval.

However, there is still time to save our Music Service, which has been instrumental in Aberdeen’s development into today’s rich cultural centre. Music is something that everyone, no matter who they are or what their background is, should be able to access and enjoy. If these services go they will never return.

More information is available at F.A.I.M. (Friends of Aberdeen Instrumental Music) website and on Facebook with the same name.

Please extend your support to this cause by putting your name to this petition. Thank you.

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We are writing as a group of concerned students and staff in response to the announcement on 9 May 2011 to set undergraduate fees from 2012/13 £9000 per annum.

We are aware that this decision is being taken by Goldsmiths as a consequence of the coalition Government's policies on Higher Education and sharp cuts to HEFCE funding and understand that it is motivated by the necessity to make up for this funding loss whilst keeping the institution financially viable. We should be clear however that no level of fees offers safety for the principles of access and educational quality to which Goldsmiths is committed.

We agree with Goldsmiths Students Union’s opposition to a rise in fees and its statement that:

‘participation in Higher Education should be based on a student's ability to benefit from it, rather than their ability to pay. All society benefits from large numbers of graduates (who if they are fortunate enough to earn more will of course pay more in income tax). Public funds spent on Higher Education generate a huge return on investment and forcing the costs onto students through tuition fees is misguided, shortsighted and will deter students from less well-off backgrounds from applying.’

The consequences of the vast majority of universities in the country deciding to charge £9000 fees are going to be disastrous for access to higher education in England, and will dramatically affect prospects for social mobility. With the economic viability of the fee system in shreds (a 70% default is projected) its imposition is manifestly driven by a reckless ideology of privatisation.

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It has come to light that the government is wanting to increase tuition fees for studying at University. This is hindering people's chances and aspirations to go to University.

Everyone deserves a chance to go to University and money should not be the deciding factor. This should be down to the individual, not the individual's wealth or social status.

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A petition set up to demonstrate public opposition to the SIC's recent decision to charge for instrumental tuition in Shetland's schools.

On Wednesday 17th February 2010, the Shetland Islands Council voted 9 to 11 in favour of charging for instrumental tuition in schools -

http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/2010/February/news/SIC%20reaches%20turning%20point%20on%20spending.htm

There’s been absolutely no consultation with teachers, parents or students! The first most people will have heard is on radio Shetland tonight.

They plan on charging £160 per child per year, so if you have three kids, that’ll be £480 a year. Who can afford that?

Inevitably there will be a reduction in student numbers, so that’ll mean staff redundancies.

Also, the lack of instrumental teachers will mean classroom teachers will have to take the extra strain.

All in all, it’s not looking good, and there’s rumours of more cuts to follow.

We appreciate the need to make savings, but these charges have not been thought through.

As councillor Rick Nickerson said at today's meeting, the decision effectively amounts to the council imposing "a tax on talent".

Please join this group if you are opposed to the council's decision.

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Tuition fees across the country have doubled in the past decade; at the same time, grants and student loans have been cut or wiped out entirely.
*(http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2000/02/02/000202fees.html)

Tuition fees have grown to become the single largest expense for most university and college students, with average fees of almost $5,000 per year. *(http://www.gsu.utoronto.ca/newsevents.html)

As student debt rises from $1,000 to $10,000 per year, completion rates for students dependent on loans plummet from 59 to 8 per cent. We believe the time to act is now.

*(http://www.rabble.ca/news/2009/09/generation-debt-post-secondary-students-face- more-tuition-increases).

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"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." ~Plato

A group of approximately 25 students of all races, nationalities and ethnicities, was recently denied access to soccer fields located near the HPER buildings to play “The Worlds Beautiful Game”, soccer, on a late Thursday evening. The students were also warned that security would be called if they proceeded to use the empty soccer field.

The reason’s for denial of use of the field that were stated in a brief conversation with an administrator at the College of Health, the College responsible for the field, were that the students did not reserve the field, but also did not pay $30 an hour to utilize the field.

It is interesting to note that in years past, this fee was not applied to anyone who used these fields but is now being done so due to recent budget cuts. Ironically, all 25 of the students could have swiped their U-cards to use the heated indoor pool inside the HPER complex or have gone to the Field House to play basketball, lift weights, or play indoor soccer. The students would not have been charged further to use those facilities.

It quickly became apparent the ‘Mandatory Fee’s’ that are addendum to students tuition did not cover this field. Rudimentary research to ascertain what the ‘Mandatory Fees’ that accompany the tuition are quickly shows that these fee’s go to: ‘ASUU Activity, Athletic, Building, Collegiate Reader Program, Computing, Fine Arts, Utilities, Health, Library, Publication Council, Recreation, Study Abroad, Sustainability, and Transportation budgets.’ In light of the highlighted budgets, it would seem evident that use of the soccer fields is a fundamental right that students garner when attending this institution

This denial of campus grounds is far more egregious after contacting the city and county about their reservation policies and charges on the use of their soccer fields, softball fields, basketball courts, and tennis courts and discovered that the city and county do not charge for use of their facilities, even in this economic recession. In addition, BYU does not force their students to reserve and pay to use campus ground.

To add to this incendiary act, the group of students was of an international origin, making this denial of use an international disgrace. Despite being a large commuter campus, student life of all forms should be supported; especially those activities that are constructive and healthy in nature. In light of student fee’s paid, burdening students further with financial obligations to play something that is otherwise free elsewhere is in principal a folly and sinister in nature, especially since one of the fields is in near unplayable condition,

Bret Van Ausdall
Graduate Student at the University of Utah

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On November 28, 2007 Mr. Leo Glavine (Nova Scotia Liberal Education Critic) introduced a amendment to the education act to incorporate the provision for tuition support until the public system can provide a equal level of support.

It also calls upon the government to lift the arbitrary time limit of three years so that the children who need it can continue to attend a specially designated private school until such time at they are ready to go back to public school.

This is a very important piece of legislation for children with learning disabilities in Nova Scotia. We are asking everyone to support this Bill by signing this petition and adding their comments.

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Lower BHA Tuition for the Year 2007 - 2008. Stop Last Minute Tuition Increases.

Parents of Brighter horizons Academy students, please sign this petition to Lower BHA Tuition for the Year 2007 - 2008.

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A College Education is a very valuable asset in Life, and more importantly the labour force. The degree also gives you a voice, and makes people take notice. Your opinion is an educated one and therefore respected. There is a trend, however, that may take a way your voice away. That is the increase in tuition fee's over the last sixteen years.

In British Columbia the average tuition fee has increased by $3152 over the last sixteen years. Kwantlen has always been the forefront of great education for a lowered tuition, but even it has faced the increase in tuition fees. Are we not worth it? Does our generation not require an education? One answer to this problem would be to obtain a student loan, but loans only breed debt.

Over 45% of College students will be in debt after college. The average debt has grown from $ 10,800-19,000 in just 10 years, and one out of seven bachelor graduates will owe $ 25,000 in debt. A student could work to pay his tuition, but with tuition increasing as it is it would take a lot of hours per week. These hours would detract from time spent studying, and possibly impairing academic performance. Moreover, studies have shown that students working twenty hours or more are likely to drop out.

By dropping out the student just lost possibly $600,000 over a life time and decrease his chances of employment by 6 percent. More importantly he just lost his voice. Let your Voice be heard, and let the government know that tuition fee’s need to be reduced.

Stand Up For Your Right! Sign the Petition and let Legislators know that You are Worth a Great Education! And That You Refuse To Become Just Another Statistic!

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Young Men and Women are sent to war protecting the "American Values" Their hope is to return home and reintergrate and pick up where they left off. Soon these young enlisted men and women find themself fighting another personal battle; how to intergrate and how to complete their Education.

This petition request that the State Of Florida takes care of these veterans before they become homeless.

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This petition was created to lower college tuition costs. It is to stop colleges from raising their tuition every year. Instead, all colleges would remain at certain fixed rates, each year. This would only change if a college were to have financial problems, then that certain college may raise it's tuition as needed.

College tuition needs to be lowered so that more common folk may be able to attend, because they are the ones that are always the most ambitious and want to attend college the most.

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A call for the abolition of university tuition fees and for grants to be kept for poorer students.

Opposition to the introduction of top-up fees and support for Conservative plans to restore free access to highereducation and to reduce student debt.

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This petition is to fight the President of Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School. We want to know where did our tuition go? For new cars? Why is the tuition being raised each year while the quality of teachers decline each year?

We want to know why this happening. We don't want others falling into this system corporate fraud. People are not getting the education they paid for. We are talking about thousands of dollars, and unqualified teachers.

Please sign this petition if you support opening the financial records of Bishop Ford to see where our tuition went in the past. We want to know!

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According to a Marketing profile on the Eastern College Athletic Conference, (http://www.ecac.org/Marketing/College_Market_Demographic_Profile.pdf) Most college students live away from home, and of those who are employed, (66%) most only work part time. [There were no explicit figures available on average college student income, however I believe it is common knowledge that part-time wages are quite low.]

In her article: "College tuition rising faster than the average income", USA Today writer Mary Beth Marklein notes that college tuition rates increased 107% from 1980 to 2002. This increase makes affording food a challenge for college students.

But the real problem is not being able to afford healthy food. According to Ted W. Grace of the Journal of American College Health in his article: "Health Problems of College Students", students' eating habits get much worse in the college years, where students often turn to the convenient, cheap, fast food industry to sustain them.

One February 25, 2004 article of The Daily Orange (the school newspaper of Syracuse University) tells of the growing trend of students who desire to eat healthy but find themselves only able to afford unhealthy fast food items.

Providing food stamps to college students who meet the requirements I listed would be a step in the right direction for our nations future. The college years are the time in the lives of young Americans where they make formative habits that stick with them for the rest of their lives. If students are forced into the habit of poor eating choices due to financial constraints, then they will continue with those habits, and the health of this nation will continue to deteriorate in a very negative way. However, having a steady source of food would set many students at ease, knowing that expenses such as rent and tuition can be prioritized on their personal budgets, without having to sacrifice good eating.

Thank you for your consideration,
-Thomas K.

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The concerned parents, in conjunction with PTA, request that the Diocese of Camden evaluate the state of the school; the tuition rates, the three-tier tuition base and the fundraising assessment assigned to PTA.

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"[Is there] going to be a raise? Do lions eat meat?" Stephen Joel Trachtenberg

Petition against The George Washington University (GW) increasing tuition.

It's time to take a stand. On February 24, 2003, the GW Hatchet announced a tuition increase will be voted on by the Board of Trustees this Friday. This comes on the heels of last year's 4.9% rise in tuition. The administration's nonchalant attitude towards tuition hikes is unacceptable. However, until we, the students of GW, make our displeasure known this is the kind of treatment we can expect. Join a mass assembly of students as we make a public demonstration of our opposition to the economical burdens being put on us by the administration's lack of fiscal prudence. We ask the administration to re-examine a budget which includes multiple costly expansionist projects and extravagant spending on programs like Colonial Inauguration (CI) and Parent's Weekend before they choose to further increase our tuition.

On Wednesday, February 26, 2003, we will protest in Kogan Plaza and J Street. Please participate and take a stand by signing this petition.

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