To address student concerns about college affordability, House Minority Whip Leader Steny Hoyer (D) and other state officials sat down with a group of university student leaders Monday in a roundtable discussion of these issues.

Alongside student representatives from other state institutions in Hoyer’s district, leaders from the Graduate Student Government and the Student Government Association raised concerns about the allocation of federal Pell Grants, the future of student loans and college tuition affordability at the meeting in Waldorf, Md. SGA leaders also stressed the importance of financial literacy education among students and increasing the number of students in the state in college.

“Nothing that was brought up was very surprising,” said SGA President Kaiyi Xie.

Maureen Beach, spokeswoman for Hoyer, said that Hoyer is currently working on the Make It In America plan, a congressional proposal to improve U.S. schools and help Americans attain higher levels of education and jobs. Student loans are of particular concern for Hoyer, who along with delegate John Bohanan (D—St. Mary’s) aim to ensure higher is education

However, SGA members said they wanted to meet with these state officials to ensure their concerns were heard — and would hopefully be met.

Xie, SGA Vice President of Academic Affairs Jamil Scott and SGA Director of Governmental Affairs Zach Cohen said they stressed the importance of teaching students financial literacy.

The current student loans interest rate is set at 3.4 percent and will rise to 6.8 percent this July, Xie said.

Two GSG members — GSG Chief of Staff David Colón-Cabrera and GSG Vice President of Community Affairs Blessing Okoroafor — attended the event to advocate for graduate students and voice financial concerns.

“Graduate stipends have stayed the same for the past four years, while the costs of living have increased,” Colón-Cabrera said.

Budget cuts and additional costs make a substantial impact on a graduate student’s ability to pay for graduate programs, especially when coupled with student loan rates, according to Colón-Cabrera.

Hoyer stated in a press release that the meeting was productive.

“By hearing first-hand from campus leaders, Assistant Secretary [for Postsecondary Education Eduardo] Ochoa, Delegate Bohanan, and I have a better understanding of the issues that matter most to Maryland’s students,” the release stated.

blasey@umdbk.com