Members of Congress received hundreds of phone calls on Valentine’s Day from students across America asking for increases in financial aid.

“Be a Sweetheart Phone-in Day” was created by the United States Student Association in reaction to President George Bush’s proposed fiscal year 1991 budget for student financial aid.

The budget calls for a $2,300 freeze on Pell Grants and seeks to eliminate funding for Perkins Loans.

USSA Legislative Director Janet Lieberman said she hopes the letters and phone calls from the college campuses will pay off.

An exact total of phone calls is not available since USSA would have to contact at least 50 congressional offices, she said.

“The day was a good way to start the year,” Lieberman said.

Huda Scheidelman, president of NIU’s Student Association, a member of USSA, called the event an “awareness day for funding for higher education.

“It can never hurt to call the legislatures to give them our stand on issues,” she said. “Bombarding the legislature is likely to help, not hurt.”

Congress has not yet responded to USSA’s effort to increase funding for aid, but USSA will continue its fight.

Future plans for USSA’s actions include a National Student Lobby Day on March 5, Lieberman said.

Thousands of students are expected to attend a rally at the nation’s capitol where student leaders will talk to Congress about “USSA’s number one priority—access to higher education,” Lieberman said.

A mail-in campaign will allow students in farther states to send letters to USSA, which will then hand deliver them to congressmen, she said.

Some NIU students might attend the event, but would have to pay for the expenses themselves, Scheidelman said. NIU is planning a similar day near the end of March, Scheidelman said.