Grant presents students with difficult choices

GRANT, page 1 in the next academic year.

The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania is hoping to increase the amount by 10 percent to $38.6 million to keep it similar with the current grant levels this year.

After working on this student lobbying for about a year now since the February budget was released, on April 8th, AICUP had a major student lobby day involving over 35 colleges and 200 students in front of legislators.

“We were able to show the faces of these students who are effected,” Maronic said.

The lobby day was effective because the students were able to demonstrate the need for this grant to their legislators.

Maronic gave suggestions on how Cabrini can help in student lobbying.

“Presidents of colleges can write to the legislators. Leadership endorsing letters and ones that will back the students.” on campus as a resident assistant and student ambassador.

Maronic also suggests going to www.legis.state.pa.us and contacting state Senators and House members.

June 30th, 2008, is when the budget will be passed.

“The inflation is a big deal because prices are going up but our incomes are not. We are getting less for the money we make,” Butler said.

Butler admits that saving money is not always easy but he does his best to place half of his earnings away in a savings account.

“Economists talk about price increases like these as signals of scarcity,” Malm said. “Markets as well as people react by buying more efficient cars, carpooling and trying to make your home more energy efficient, which all takes time and money.”

Senior Chris Sweeney, 22, grew up in a middle class family in Ambler, Pa. Sweeney spends an average of $300 dollars a month. He feels the increases in prices are ridiculous, especially with the drop in value of the dollar.

“It’s not having a direct effect on me personally but I can see how it could affect poor families pinching pennies and living paycheck to paycheck,” Sweeney said.

Paul Lilly, a junior from Omagh, Northern Ireland comes from a middle-class family that helps him pay for his everyday expenses. He said he splits all of his expenses about half and half with his parents.

“The economy in America is a lot more driven by the private sector and it is more of a capitalist system than in Ireland,” Lilly said.

Lilly believes Americans are better at saving money than Europeans. He has been able to save money working in three offices at Cabrini.

“It’s the worst, especially as a commuter! Prices are insane and it’s not helping my financial situ- ation at all,” Amanda Alexandrowicz, a junior English and communication major, said. “I have a great job. I waitress in Wayne and I make great money there for a college student. But with all my school work and lacrosse I have to cut my work hours down.”

College students are at the age where being careless about the money they earn is not an option. Dealing with the inflation only makes matters worse and throws them into financial issues they are not prepared for, according to The Washington Post.

“There are college students who live on their own, pay rent and buy their own groceries. Then when they graduate, they’ll have so many thousands of dollars in debt to pay off their tuition,” Alexandrowicz said. “What it comes down to is that all college students should take