An effort put forth by the Illinois Student Association to increase state funding for higher education is to urge students to write to their local legislators.

ISA President David Starrett said, “Tell (legislators) you want the state to increase funding for higher education. That’s the only way (students) can stop skyrocketing tuition costs.”

NIU Student Association President Jim Fischer said since this is Parents’ Day Weekend, the SA believes this is an appropriate time to inform parents of the impact of Gov. James Thompson’s $53 million budget cut to higher education.

The SA will urge parents to write to their local legislators asking the state to give more money to higher education, Fischer said.

e said the Holmes Student Center’s Promenade Lounge will have a Parents’ Day Welcome Table Nov. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. where parents can gather information concerning the letter-writing campaign.

ISA board member Brian Kasher said, “It is crucial that (students) keep pressure on the university governing boards as well as the legislators.”

The writing campaign is a continuous effort to keep students together and organized for the spring, which is when the ISA plans to lobby legislators for Day of Action II, ISA board member Brian Hopkins said.

All efforts the ISA puts forth are to supplement both Days of Action and make them as effective as possible, Fischer said.

Kasher said, “This spring we’ll have to pay these record tuition hikes. The governing boards and administrations would like to sweep this whole thing under the carpet, (but) the ISA is not going to sit back and let that happen.”

Board of Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves said students sometimes would like the Regents to address the question of a tuition reduction whether there is money to address the problem or not.

Groves said he supports the efforts of students to acquire more funds for higher education, but he said he does not know if lobbying legislation will be effective.

e said if the ISA’s efforts generate money, a tuition roll back can be re-evaluated in the spring.

Additional funding for education will require a tax increase of which the ISA is in full support, Starrett said.

There is no other way than a tax increase to create more revenue for higher education, Hopkins said.

Fischer said he supports a tax increase only if part of the funds go to higher education as well as to the state’s other needs.