In the coming weeks Louisiana Progress will feature stories of individuals and groups that have been severely affected by Louisiana’s recent budget cuts. If you have a story, or know someone who has a story contact us at info@louisianaprogress.org
In July 2010, I received a letter from the Admissions Department from Northwestern State University of Natchitoches, my then college. The letter was to inform me, along with hundreds, maybe thousands, of other students that certain degree programs had been dropped due to the careless budget cuts to higher education by the Jindal administration. My feelings for that day could best be described as: annoyance, anger, wonder, and hopelessness; and of the questions that lingered: What am I to do now? Why am I being told this only one month before school begins? Why my department [political science]? Of course, all these questions would be answered in due time, but at that moment, I was completely lost.
The instructions that accompanied the letter directed me to call my department head to discuss my future plans. I spoke with Dr. Gregory Granger, a well-respected instructor and a personal favorite of mine, and he gave me my three options. Hurry up and graduate, choose a different major, or choose a different school. I chose the latter; although, unwillingly. I was set at NSU. I liked the small-town feel of the university and the friends I had made, and until then, I had no reason or desire to leave. I couldn’t graduate any sooner, because I was only a sophomore, and I liked political science too much to quit it; so, I was forced to transfer to a different university. At the time it felt wrong, unfair, and unwarranted; but, only later would I realize it was a blessing in disguise.
Normally, one wouldn’t question the stereotypical actions of a typical Republican slashing a budget. It’s a predictable move from a conservative administration to want to slash budgets and cut spending. However, what is questionable is any significant cuts made to an institution such as higher education, which is the cornerstone of our future. Without education, how is the rising generation supposed to bring about a new and prosperous era to our state? Furthermore, how can a man who achieved multiple degrees from prestigious universities like Oxford and Brown, but have such little disrespect for higher education?
Going back to my story, I had received the letter mid-July, and most priority deadlines had already been met for financial aid and admissions to other universities. So, I decided to complete one more year at NSU, with significantly less courses of political science to choose from. Sometime in between then and the following spring, I was responsible for finding another university to attend, as well as deal with the hassle that would come from the task. One would think it’s fairly simple, but it was a complete headache. I often found myself questioning whether or not it was worth continuing my education. I believe most students ask that at one point or another, especially considering how poorly the job market is doing under our current administration.
Being the first generation in my family to attend college, neither me nor my family could anticipate the implications that would rise from receiving that letter from NSU. After months of trying to decide where to attend, I finally chose Louisiana State University. I figured since they were the flagship college, they would be least likely to drop a whole degree program. I would soon be informed of how much more money I would have to pay to attend this university. Thanks to, in my opinion, a dysfunctional system that bases a student’s financial need on their parent’s income, I had to pay significantly more because of these budget cuts; nearly $2000 was paid out my own pocket. That type of money is no doubt a huge amount for a college student, especially when my parents just simply cannot afford this type of money. Fortunately, I was extremely lucky to snag a well-paying summer job to pay for such a ridiculous amount.
Earlier, I mentioned that the move from NSU to LSU would turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Well, it’s true; but only after months of worrying about where will I go and how would I get there. I now write to you from the office of the Coalition for Louisiana Progress as an intern; a position I would not have gotten had I stayed at NSU. While although NSU is a fine school, I’ve always felt that I just wasn’t challenged enough and that there was no room for me to grow and explore career options. As stated earlier, there were limited courses available catering to my major of political science, and even fewer options my sophomore year after the announcement of the degree being dropped.
My story is only one of thousands that students have experienced from all over the state. While we all want a stable and prosperous economy, violently slashing our education system is not the way to achieve it. While my story looks like it will end a happy one, I’m sure there are countless other college students that have been affected by these budget cuts where nothing good will come from it. I’m one of the few lucky ones.
If you have a story that you would like to share, contact us at info@louisianaprogress.org
