As of February 2021, the overall student loan debt added up to over 1.7 trillion dollars with over 45 million people borrowing money. Many students who come to the University of Connecticut are often held back from their education and comfort because of financial struggles. This campaign targets financial instability in hopes to provide support for students who cannot afford the costs of their education. The goals of this campaign are to be both reactive and proactive to the issue that plagues college students everywhere. 

 

Reactive Initiatives 

Textbook Exchange Network The latest initiative through collaboration with USG brought the Textbook Exchange Network (TEN) to Storrs. This initiative was started by the Affordable Textbooks campaign and will be continued this upcoming semester. The program facilitates the buying and selling of course materials and is 100% student -irected.

 

The Printer Project This is a new initiative that will target the lack of accessibility to printing for students at UConn. The ultimate goal of this project is to have free printing in the library and have printers in more accessible locations such as residence hall common areas or dining halls.

 

Proactive Initiatives

Financial Literacy Panels and Workshops Many students are often subjected to the financial information they do not understand regarding loans and aid. Panels will focus on giving students the opportunity to learn more about budgeting, interest rates, and how to set themselves up for success in their futures. Workshops will do the same thing but become a more interactive environment for students to create financial plans and learn more about scholarships, saving, and investing. 

 

Legislative Work The spring legislative session is starting and it is important for students to voice their needs to our legislators. Students will have the opportunity to be more involved with our Connecticut legislature which will hopefully get bills that target higher education pushed into law.