Post Classifieds
Aid, debt concern for NSBE
By Britney Nowak
On February 20, 2013
The National Society of Black Engineers presented a discussion on Feb.15 entitled, "Don't Trip over the
Cliff," during which they discussed how the fiscal cliff affects college students.
The fiscal cliff was a set of policies due to go into effect in January, until Congress and the president
acted to avoid the policy change.
"The fiscal cliff itself is a combination of tax cuts and expiration of taxes," said Jeff Oyo, vice treasurer for
the NSBE. "The problem is really for the middle class and lower middle class."
The problems that were discussed included the current plans involving decreasing financial aid to college
students. Less aid means fewer scholarships and grants, which could cause a decrease in college and
university enrollment and increased dropout rates.
Strong reactions to this proposed plan were made clear during the discussion.
"When the government thinks about cutting [spending], the first thing that gets cut is education," said Jorel
Ferguson, treasurer for the NSBE. "It should be the last thing."
The NSBE recommends that students apply for financial aid and scholarships. There are scholarships
opportunities on the NSBE website that students are encouraged to take advantage of. They also
recommend that students get their grade point average up to a 3.0 this semester so they can qualify for
more scholarships.
"Basically, the fiscal cliff will affect people who earn between $40,000 and $65,000, and it will affect
college students," said Torvari Williams, secretary for the NSBE.
As part of the NSBE's discussion, parts of this controversial plan also involve student athletes.
"It will affect financial aid significantly first, and then it will affect the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic
Association]," said Williams.
According to the NSBE, the National Collegiate Athletic Association increased the GPA standards for
high school athletes from a 2.0 to a 2.5 as of 2013. This increased standard is a result of problems with
specific teams in all sports. According to the discussion, students within sports such as basketball and
football have not been reaching beyond the goal of a 2.5 or higher. With this increase, the goal is to
require all teams to obtain a 50 percent graduation rate in order to be eligible to participate in the NCAA's
tournaments. Some students found that this is a reasonable request while others think that it's too much
for athletes to handle alongside their rigorous schedules.
"It applies to a wide range of people," said Catharine Liquori, a member of the NSBE. "I choose to turn it
into something that applies to me."
The NSBE also encourages students to contact their state legislators and address these issues.
"You don't have to be a black engineer to reap the benefits," Oyo said.
Students can get involved with the discussions started by the NSBE by following the events posted on
the Bengal Connect website. All students are invited to attend. The NSBE also has silent library sessions
every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in the E.H. Butler Library, for students to study and borrow specific books
that they need from the NSBE's book bank. The NSBE also encourages students to contact their state
legislators and address these issues.
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