Why #SAVEUCONN?
The State is planning to cut over 150 million dollars from UConn’s proposed operating budget. These funding cuts are going to impact YOU– UConn students – whether you are a graduating senior or a freshman who will be here for the next four years.
If these budget cuts are passed, the University has announced there will be an immediate $3,000 increase to tuition next year. Additionally, programming will be cut from academic to vital on-campus services, including mental health resources. For those of you who's semester is their last, this cut doesn’t escape you either.
These cuts will destroy UConn’s prestige, and the UConn we all were accepted into will not be the same UConn we are leaving. This will diminish the value of our degrees when we all eventually attempt to enter the workforce and will consistently diminish as time goes on. We’ve already paid too much for our education, and this isn’t what we paid for.
Walk Out on February 15th, 2023.
On February 15th we, the students of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, will walk out of classes and head to the State Capitol to show the General Assembly that the proposed cuts are unacceptable. We will cover all student costs for the day, including box lunches and free transportation.
Buses will depart from Hillside Road (near the Husky Dog statue) at 10:45 am on the 15th. Seating on the buses is limited and on a first come/first serve basis. The first 800 students to arrive will receive a #SAVEUCONN t-shirt. RSVP at the link here.
#SAVEUCONN FAQ
Why are these cuts happening?
Before the proposed budget cuts, only 26% of UConn’s budget was state funded, in 1991 that number was 50%. In 1991, the state gave over $3,000 more per student a year than the previous year, that's before considering inflation….That diminished state support has continually been passed on to students and our families. This time it is no different.
To answer the answer posed, why these cuts are happening is tough to understand. The cuts since 1991 were initiated because of continual budget deficits by the state which they passed on to students. However, this year the state has a record level budget surplus. This was the year we were supposed to get more funding, not less.
Ultimately, it comes down to the Governor’s lack of support of public higher education. He has been completely absent from us here at UConn. The good thing is that these cuts aren’t final, they must pass through the General Assembly which we must convince to reverse this dangerous decision.
What is #SAVEUCONN?
#SAVEUCONN is a multifaceted movement pioneered by UConn USG to urge the state government not to cut UConn’s budget. As your student representatives, we are here to represent your student needs to the larger community. Now more than ever, it is imperative that students unite and mobilize to fight for the university that we know and love.
How do we #SAVEUCONN?
On February 15th, students will walk out and get on a bus to the Capitol Building and tell Connecticut representatives that UConn is watching. We are the future of Connecticut and the future of the world. We are UConn, and it is time for our politicians to invest in our future by showing a financial commitment to higher education.
Has this ever happened before?
Yes. In 2017 the state tried to cut our budget. We rallied and over 1,000 students came out in support of UConn and they didn’t cut the budget! We can spark change!