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Urbana-Champaign (July 18): On July 19, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO, IFT/AFT Local 6300) will host a public Tuition Waiver Forum at 5:30pm at the University YMCA. The forum is in response to a change in tuition waiver policy in the College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA).

Beginning this fall, incoming students in several FAA departments will only receive base-rate tuition waivers, covering the lowest in-state tuition rate.  The GEO is concerned about the future of the Arts at UIUC if this policy change is not rescinded. “This policy change will devastate arts programs in the years to come. Students will not go into debt at Illinois when other universities can offer them full tuition waivers,” said Michelle Salerno, GEO Officer-at-Large and graduate student in Theater.

Last fall over 1,000 GEO members and supporters went on strike over this very issue—tuition waiver protection. “It’s clear that this is just the beginning of the administration’s attempts to use graduate student tuition as a revenue generator,” said Natalie Uhl, GEO Communications Officer. “We struck for tuition waiver protection last November and we’re willing to fight for it again now. Tuition waivers are crucial to maintaining accessibility to public higher education in the state of Illinois.” The GEO has filed a grievance alleging violation of their current contract.

Monday’s Tuition Waiver Forum will be an informational session and an opportunity for GEO members and other members of the campus community to ask questions about tuition waiver policy. The Forum is open to the public and GEO has invited faculty and top administrators to attend.

Many FAA graduate students provide the necessary, skilled labor required to run the Krannert Center for the Performance Arts, a world-renowned performance space on campus that attracts hundreds of productions each year. During the Spring 2010 semester, 75% of FAA students made less than $800 a month for their work; the difference between base-rate and full tuition—what these students would be responsible for paying—is $13,266.

Longstanding practice in these departments has been to cover full tuition since many graduate students come to UIUC from out-of-state. Unlike many other universities, gaining in-state residency for tuition purposes at UIUC requires students to live and work in the state (employment cannot be through the university) for at least one year before beginning their education.

During academic year 2010-2011 GEO activities will focus on four pillars: Uniting Workers, Enforcing the Contract, Protecting Access to Public Education, and Improving Healthcare. These pillars are vital to fulfilling the original land grant mission of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and protecting the quality of life and benefits of employment for graduate students. To learn more about how this campaign is working for GEO members and helping to strengthen our community, please contact the GEO.

The Graduate Employees’ Organization, AFT/IFT Local 6300, AFL-CIO, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, represents approximately 2700 Teaching and Graduate Assistants on the UIUC Campus. In November 2009, over 1,000 GEO members successfully went on strike to secure a fair contract and more accessible UIUC. With events like lobby day, the GEO continues to work for high quality and accessible public education in Illinois.

For more information, please contact Natalie Uhl, GEO Communications Officer, at 317-652-7298 or natalieuhl@gmail.com. More information can also be found on our website at uigeo.org.

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