[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 8, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E747-E748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  RECOGNIZING THE OUTSTANDING WORK OF THE CONGRESSIONAL TOWN MEETING 
                 STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 8, 2002

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, today, I recognize the outstanding work 
done by participants in my Student Congressional Town Meeting held this 
spring at the University of Vermont. These participants were part of a 
group of high school students from around Vermont who testified about 
the concerns they have as teenagers, and about what they would like to 
see government do regarding these concerns.

                   FINANCIAL AID AND HIGHER EDUCATION

           (By Candace Crosby and Kim Dickenson Apr. 8, 2002)

       CANDACE CROSBY. As students preparing for college, we find 
     that the financial issue is becoming a larger problem 
     compared to what our parents had to pay for college tuition. 
     According to a VSAC representative, 70 to 80 percent of 
     students today need some type of financial aid. The rates for 
     tuition are high, but what's worse is that they are rising at 
     rate of about 5 percent a year all over the country.
       What concerns us as future college students is how we will 
     be able to pay for the tuition, and tuition doesn't include 
     room and board and other expenses. We think that, today, 
     there is a lack of adequate financial aid for college-bound 
     students.
       When preparing to pay for college, teens in Vermont turn to 
     VSAC--which is the Vermont Student Association Corporation--
     for financial help. Of course, VSAC is a healthy program, but 
     are they able to give financial aid to all the students that 
     need it? No. Does VSAC have enough money to give scholarships 
     and grants to the teens that need it at the same increasing 
     rate that college tuition is rising? No.
       We spoke to a representative from VSAC who gave us the 
     information that VSAC has increased their funds for 
     scholarships and financial aid, but has not been able to keep 
     up with the increasing tuition costs. Based on one of VSAC's 
     grants, the Vermont Incentive Grant, fulltime graduates can 
     get between $500 and $8,650 for one year to help pay for 
     college. The $8,650 is an extremely helpful amount of money 
     to receive, but not all the teens going to college will 
     receive this amount. Even if a student gets the minimum, 
     $500, it will not even begin to help for any student to pay 
     for their college education. It will only cover a few of the 
     books that students will need for their first year of 
     college.
       KIM DICKENSON. Online at USNews.com, we searched for 
     college tuitions for various Vermont colleges. We looked up 
     the cost at Castleton State College, Lyndon State College, 
     UVM, Johnson State College, VTC and Southern Vermont College. 
     We found that the average tuition costs for these schools was 
     approximately $6,825. We found that the average room and 
     board add approximately $5,520 more to tuition. Together, 
     this amounts to $12,345. Even more interesting is that some 
     of the room-and-board costs are higher than the tuition 
     costs. At Castleton State College, tuition is $5,392, and 
     room and board is $5,530. $12,000 is a lot of money, even 
     with VSAC's help, but students leave colleges thousands of 
     dollars in debt.
       What about students who want to go to college outside of 
     Vermont? These costs are astronomical, and the tuition alone 
     can be $20,000 or $30,000, because the students are not 
     residents of the state. How are students supposed to pay for 
     college without a lot of financial aid when they go to these 
     schools?
       0 percent of Vermont students take out loans provided by 
     VSAC. We found a list of loans that could be borrowed from 
     VSAC, and the amounts ranged from $1,000 to $50,000. Even if 
     a student went to a college that had a tuition of $25,000 a 
     year, and they took out a loan to pay for the first two 
     years, they would have to pay back 73,615. The student pays 
     23,615 more dollars in interest. That is practically paying 
     for a third year of college.
       We think that is a ridiculous amount. We thought of a few 
     solutions so that students can receive more financial aid and 
     won't have to have an enormous debt to pay back. The burden 
     of debt would decrease if funds for scholarships, grants and 
     other financial aid would be increased. We think the federal 
     and state governments should fund VSAC's financial aid 
     programs even more then they already do. This would enable 
     more students to receive money so that the financial burden 
     on families wouldn't be as great.

                       THE RIGHTS OF THE ABENAKI

       (By Evan Worth, Alan Blackman, Nicolette Baron, and Steph 
     Bernath April 8, 2002)
       EVAN WORTH. We are doing the issue of Abenaki rights. And 
     as of now, they are not recognized as an Indian tribe. They 
     have been pushing, seeking federal recognition for the past 
     25 years, which is a criteria for federal recognition, which 
     they need to have been a continuous entity since 1900, they 
     need to have existed as a community since before 1900, there 
     needs to be a political influence throughout history, they 
     need a membership criteria and governing procedures, they 
     need roots before 1900, and they cannot be members of any 
     other type of group, and cannot be stripped of their status.
       ALAN BLACKMAN. Vermont seems to have a very long-held 
     tradition in being first in giving people, specific groups of 
     people, rights--outlawing slavery, granting rights for all 
     men to vote, and, more recently, civil unions. I feel we 
     should continue this. And in doing this, it is another way 
     to, so to speak, take Vermont forward.
       The main concern against this, particularly Governor Dean's 
     apprehension with granting them recognition is, casinos and 
     land claims. Chief April Rushlow has claimed on numerous 
     occasions that, quite frankly, they have higher concerns, 
     such as burial grounds and things of this nature. The main 
     reason they want this, what provoked this, actually, such a 
     strong pursuit of this, was kids being taunted at school for 
     being Abenaki, but not being recognized by the government. 
     What they want is essentially grants for education, 
     healthcare, things they couldn't get as of now. And I feel 
     that it is a good idea and it would be a step in the right 
     direction to grant them recognition.
       NICOLETTE BARON. Some of the qualms that state government 
     has cited for not giving recognition to the Abenaki was extra 
     rights, aside from those already given to minorities, the 
     fact that it will lead to federal recognition, and they can 
     institute their own laws and have their own fish and wildlife 
     regulations that do not need to concur with the guidelines of 
     the state.
       On the issue of the minorities, the minorities that are 
     around the nation and around the state are African-Americans 
     and Hispanics. While those groups do have an important part 
     in the history of this state and the nation, the Abenakis 
     were among the first inhabitants of this state, and they are 
     the only native American tribe that has not been recognized.
       State recognition could lead to federal recognition, which 
     would give the Abenaki rights to make their own laws, 
     including those regarding fish and wildlife regulations. The 
     laws that they would make would most likely conform to the 
     Constitution of the United States, not go beyond that or not 
     be radical, which I think is what the state government is 
     concerned with. All laws would be to prohibit harm and to 
     make it, you know. And fishing and wildlife laws would be 
     based on the need to eat, and not hunting game, not game-
     hunting. And being recognized as a tribe would allow them to 
     sell their wares, like basket weaving, which is a tradition 
     in the Abenaki, and to get better economic status for these 
     people. And it would give them rights with scholarships, and 
     that's really important, to send their kids to school.
       STEPH BERNATH. What I find to be very disturbing about the 
     Abenaki struggle for recognition is the negativity exhibited 
     by the state department. I have yet to hear the 
     acknowledgement from the state department that something 
     positive may come out of the Abenaki getting the recognition 
     they obviously deserve. Nearly every argument brought forth 
     by the state of Vermont has been critical of what the tribe 
     may do once they receive recognition. It has been made clear 
     very many times that the Abenaki are not interested in 
     gambling or hurting Vermonters in any way. Chief April 
     Rushlow has clarified this one too many times.
       The victims of this criticism, on the other hand, the 
     Abenaki, have openly acknowledged they are aware of what the 
     State Department fears may happen to those people who live on 
     Abenaki land if they are given

[[Page E748]]

     recognition. They have said that they are willing to work 
     with the people of Vermont, as they have done in years prior, 
     and stated that they have nothing to fear from the tribe.
       The Abenaki are willing to work with the state of Vermont, 
     but it appears as if the state of Vermont is unwilling to 
     work with the Abenakis, the People of the Dawn, the people 
     who have lived in Vermont for thousands of years. It is time 
     that these people receive the recognition they deserve. The 
     state of Vermont must be willing to give them a chance to 
     prove who they are and what they stand for.
       Chief April Rushlow has stated, ``We're the only race in 
     the United States who has to prove who we are.'' She was 
     right. Chief Rushlow also said, ``We're here when it is 
     convenient for the state of Vermont.'' Once again, Chief 
     Rushlow was right.

     

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