Howard Community College students traveled to Annapolis Wedensday to meet with their state legislators and advocate for support of community colleges across the state.
Eleven students from HCC made the trip to Annapolis as part of the 21st annual Student Advocacy Day. Organized by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, the day provides students from across the state with access to lawmakers to discuss their experiences at community college.
Students were able to speak with delegates and senators about the benefits of lower tuition rates at community colleges, their favorite programs at HCC, and the need for additional parking at the college.
Students said they were happy to hear lawmakers ask them to stay in touch after their meetings, with a few offering to meet them on campus.
Elizabeth Harden, who is a general studies major, said while it is easy to feel disconnected from elected officals, the face-to-face meetings through Student Advocacy Day allow them share their stories in a more personal way.
"It's nice to be able to say thank you for their support, instead of just calling if we have issues," she said. "If we set up that relationship, then it can be a positive and productive one."
Shawn Fournier, a theatre student at HCC, said he was surprised to learn of the proposed cuts in education funding.
"The fact that it is in the millions, I'm just surprised with all the problems that are in schools and now we're unfortunately losing more money," he said.
As the state looks to trim its budget, Howard Community College is set to lose $700,000 in expected funds for fiscal year 2015. Under Gov. Larry Hogan's budget proposal, the college would lose about $900,000 in state funding.
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman released a letter he sent to Hogan in which he advocates for the Governor's office to restore $6.6 million in state funding to the Howard County Public School System, community college, and library system.
"While I support the notion that we must collectively share in correcting the deficits we face, I am concerned about the current proposed budget's impact on state aid for Howard County, particularly for education funding," Kittleman wrote. "Howard County is known and sought after for its exceptional school system, libraries and community college. It would be disappointing to not be able to maintain some of our crowning achievements."
Donovan Delore, an accounting major at HCC, said he wanted to meet with legislators through Student Advocacy Day as a way to give back to the college.
"I think community colleges deserve all the help they can get, just because of what I've been able to experience [at HCC]," he said. "I thought it would be pretty cool to help in getting that help for the community."