Many students can't afford another tuition increase

Editor,

I am writing this letter on behalf of the financially distressed and disenfranchised students at UNM who are deeply concerned about the recent tuition increase. I have attended UNM since 2005, and every year, the tuition increases with no consideration for the people who are impacted the most - financially distressed and disenfranchised students who do not have a broad range of financial resources at their immediate disposal.

The mere fact that we are forced, once again, to adhere to such policy without proper representation of the disenfranchised segment of the student body is both patronizing and insulting. More importantly, the distractions associated with annual tuition increases threaten to smother our student voice and repress our spirit of activism - until now. Our voice will not go unheard or unnoticed.

We - the financially distressed and disenfranchised students at UNM - must make incoming UNM President David Schmidly, ASUNM and the powers that be aware of the fact that tuition increases affect us in ways more detrimental than students who come to UNM with deep pockets. If we are not satisfied with their response, we must organize, mobilize and execute a program that directly confronts the issue of taxation without proper representation. We - the financially distressed and disenfranchised students at UNM - must take control of tuition increases and all issues that threaten to undermine our ability to participate in the life-changing experience of higher education.

Be courageous, and remember that those who came before us confronted university power while guided by the fact that UNM cannot exist without the students.

Timothy Green IV

UNM student and president

of Alpha Phi Alpha,

Tau Sigma chapter