FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Student Government Association presidents from colleges and universities around the state met at the Capitol today to rally, network, and speak with legislators. Speakers shared the importance of college students sharing needs in higher education.
The current chair of the Kentucky Board of Student Presidents, Paige Murphy, says, "We are the ones here, we are the ones actively in higher education, we are talking to students, advocating for students on a daily basis on our college campuses. So, who better to speak about higher education than the students who are experiencing it right now?"
Students got the opportunity to speak with legislators about the issues that are concerning students on their campuses. Some of those issues include national campus topics like affording college and campus safety. There were other issues like food insecurity.
SGA president for the University of Louisville, Dorian Brown, says, "When it comes to food, that shouldn't be something that students have to worry too much about. They already have enough going on, on their plate when it comes to classes, paying tuition, studying, making sure that they are keeping up with their grades. So, the last thing that they need to be worried about is food insecurity...they should have help when it comes to that."
Chloe Marstiller, SGA president for Morehead State University, is looking to get more FAFSA requirements for high school students coming to college. She says her school serves a lot of lower-income students and having financial aid encourages more students to attend.
Marstiller says, "It's important to create these opportunities for students that don't have the same advantages as others. A lot of people I know, including myself, have come from low-income households. So, creating those opportunities for them diversifies our student body and creates a lot of opportunities for people that may not have thought that they had them."
Today, students want legislators to know that they care about what's happening on their campuses and they want to be involved in making them better than they found them.
Paige Murphy says, "This is all about, it's showing legislators that we also want them to care, and to be passionate, and take action on matters that apply to the furtherance of higher education."
These students are taking active roles in the change and future they want to see.
