Ellington

Camilo Moreno-Salamanca is one of more than 7,000 students on the Husky Promise program who attends the UW on a full scholarship.

At Tuesday’s Town Hall Meeting on Budget Cuts and Financial Aid, sophomore Moreno-Salamanca wondered how a cut to the program could maintain the UW’s diversity standards and accessibility.

With the standing of the Husky Promise and grants from the UW uncertain, the issue of diversity on campus is becoming increasingly worrisome to minority and low-income students.

“The Husky Promise is in danger, and the students are the most directly affected by it. Students like me have to go down to Olympia and make sure we deliver our stories compellingly and understand that diversity is essential to the economic sustainability of our state,” Moreno-Salamanca said.

The town hall meeting allowed students, faculty and anyone with questions and concerns to ask panelists about the budget cuts, tuition hikes, and the Husky Promise. Panelists included figures such as President Mark Emmert, and many questions were answered with uncertain responses.

“I don’t know the answer to a lot of these questions,” financial aid officer Kay Lewis said. “In Olympia, they need to make decisions before we have a clear idea of where we stand.”

With tuition at the UW shifting from a state responsibility to one placed on families, students are worried about the effects financial aid cuts will have on socioeconomic and other diversity.

The availability of loans and grants for students on campus has been called into question since cuts to financial aid were proposed, and some believe this may impact the variety of students that apply to the university. Lewis promised a continuing commitment to low-income students, but is unsure about the source of the funding.

“I am deeply concerned with the budget cuts and what is going on right now with financial aid, because a large part of my job is providing access to those students who might not otherwise have it,” said Sheila Edwards Lange, vice provost of Diversity and vice president of Minority Affairs. “Once those students get it, we are providing them with support and services to enhance their success here. Budget cuts means less resources to do so.”

Emmert, who created the Husky Promise program, said that he is fighting hard in Olympia to keep the program funded and available.

Students will be heading down to Olympia to lobby for the university this Friday with hopes of obtaining more concrete information and fighting for more state funding.

“They cut away everything they could. We need to fight for something that works for the students. We need to ensure that the legislators know that the financial aid system needs to be supported. We need money in the form of state grants,” said Jono Hanks, a panelist and ASUW director of the Office of Government Relations. “7,000 students on campus wouldn’t be able to attend the University of Washington without them.”

Reach contributing writer Katie Burke at development@dailyuw.com.