The United States Student Association (USSA) has been at the forefront of addressing the many challenges facing higher education.
From deep budget cuts in education by the Trump administration to renewed attacks on affirmative action, the oldest and largest student-led organization in higher education aims to “dismantle systems of oppression through our education justice framework,” said Joseline Garcia, president of USSA.
“USSA believes in education justice, meaning we will work and fight to dismantle barriers that prevent students from accessing education,” said Garcia, a first-generation graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. “The barriers to entry at our institutions and the policies being led by the Trump Administration disproportionately affect communities of color and those from low- income backgrounds.”
The daughter of Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants, Garcia began organizing as a college students at UCSB, pressing college officials to increase the number of Latinos on campus.
Now, she and USSA are focusing their attention on how public education can become accessible in an era of cutbacks.
“With the current trends in rising tuition at colleges and universities, a disinvestment from our education – as seen through President Trump’s proposed budget and Secretary DeVos’ rollbacks – higher education is becoming more and more inaccessible and privatized,” she said. “This country needs to be investing more in education.”
USSA — founded in 1947 and now boasting dozens of chapters and thousands of members — has stepped up criticisms of the White House.
