By
Rachel Schick
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Editor's note: This is the second installment of a three-part series on tuition issues culminating with tomorrow's open forum. In tomorrow's story, see what students can do and what steps administrators take to listen.
Arizona Students Association brings student concerns to state lawmakers, regents
Meeting the steadily increasing costs of attending college is a common strain on students - they are forced to combat costs with large loans, and often have no idea where their tuition dollars go.
Rarely do the letters ASA, or Arizona Students Association, come to mind when trying to piece together the tuition puzzle.
ASA - not to be confused with ASUA - is a student-lobbying organization that plays an important role in regulating tuition, and, members say, is not familiar to many students at the University of Arizona.
While ASUA - the Associated Students of the UA - represents students on campus at the University of Arizona, Arizona Students Association directors lobby the state Legislature to lower the cost of tuition at the state's public universities, among other concerns.
"When people ask me what we do, I tell them we advocate to keep tuition low and increase financial aid," ASA co-Director Sam Chang said. "We look out for what the issues concerning students are."
At the moment, ASA is creating a tuition recommendation for the Arizona Board of Regents to challenge the president's recommendation of a $200 and $500 increases for in-state and out-of-state students, respectively.
"ASA feels that the only way to keep higher education accessible is through low tuition," said Ray Quintero, also an ASA director.
One of the organization's priorities is to provide students with accessibility to the lobbying organization, Quintero said.
At the same time, however, ASA is not a highly visible organization. Quintero said this is because the group is so "policy-driven."
Nonetheless, some students, like journalism junior Adam Webb, are completely unaware that they are represented by peers at the state level.
"I know nothing about it (ASA)," he said.
Students both familiar and non-familiar with the organization can speak with members at tomorrow night's student tuition hearing forum.
The forum is meant to encourage students to ask questions and voice opinions on how tuition dollars should be spent.
"After all," Quintero said, "they're the students we represent."
"It's a good idea," Webb added. "Put the word out."
In the fall of 1990, ASA helped create the Arizona Financial Aid Trust, a program that enables Arizona university students to receive additional financial aid, and provides for the creation of a long-term endowment to assist future generations of Arizona students.
Also, ASA has addressed the need for stricter CatCard security, and is currently pushing for an increase in financial aid provided by the state, said ASA co-Director Kelly Dalton.
"The Board of Regents look to ASA to see where students stand," Dalton added. "They don't even make a decision without consulting ASA."
Student regent Mary Echeverria - an Arizona State University student - said the regents weigh both recommendations and typically strive to find a happy medium.
"The regents do care about student input," she said. "Most of that input comes from ASA. They are crucial for students. "
UA President Peter Likins has always involved ASA in discussions about tuition, Dalton said, but this year he has allowed ASA to come up with their own recommendation on what areas tuition money should go toward.
"He sees that we're doing our research," Quintero said. "He likes that."
On April 11, ASA will have five minutes at the regents' meeting in Flagstaff to formally present how they want tuition money allocated. A regular vote by the board will determine the final outcome of in and out-of-state tuition, Dalton said.
