Higher Education Day has become an annual tradition of sorts in the state of Alabama, and 2013 was no exception to the rule. On Feb. 28, more than 2,000 students from the different colleges and universities in Alabama gathered at the Statehouse for a peaceful rally to encourage the state government to keep higher education a priority in their 2013 fiscal budget.
The rally is hosted each year by the Higher Education Partnership, which is an advocacy group in the state of Alabama that raises awareness about issues related to the public universities in the state. The goal of Higher Education Day is to help lawmakers in Alabama, including the governor and legislators, see just how much of an impact the 15 public universities have on the state of Alabama. It’s a rally that is designed to promote the universities, not act like a public outcry. The mood on Feb. 28 was jovial, with students carrying signs expressing their passion for education and the need for state funding while marching bands entertained the crowds.
According to the Montgomery Advertiser, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley was in favor of the cause of the crowd. He told participants at Higher Education Day that funding higher education was one of the keys to growing the state economy and moving forward into the future. However, he then told students that they needed to focus on contacting their local legislators. Gov. Bentley explained that the budget was currently being deliberated on by the Alabama state legislature, so it is important for students to make their concerns known to their appropriate representatives.
Representatives from the Higher Education Partnership stated that currently, the state universities in Alabama receive 27 percent of the funding from the state education budget. The rest of the budget is allocated to the public education system in the state — ranging from elementary schools to high schools. Those who attended Higher Education Day are hoping to see the legislature take some changes this year, and increase funding for the public colleges and universities in Alabama. Their goal is to get 33 percent of the funding from the education budget.
While Gov. Bentley made the students and education leaders aware that he heard their plight, he didn’t make any promises at the event. He did, however, remind students that every state funding dollar awarded to a research institution was matched with federal funding dollars, to help them have a better understanding of how funding for public research universities worked within the United States. It’s those research institutions that are providing new and innovative techniques, creating inventions, making discoveries and ultimately generating jobs within the state.
In addition to the public rally at the steps of the Statehouse in Alabama, the event also provided students with an opportunity to meet with their lawmakers face-to-face. While the main purpose of the event was to raise awareness and remind the government about the importance of funding universities, it also proved to young students that they can have an impact when they participate in the democratic process.