Because of recent budget cuts that have affected Virginia universities, students at 12 state institutions of higher education have joined together to form Virginia 21, a group established to encourage students to vote in an attempt to help build support for school funding in state and local government.
"Virginia 21 is a grassroots movement to get students from the ages of 18-24 to vote," said Brant Snyder, Virginia Tech student government association president. "It attempts to make students aware of the issues and the importance of their vote, showing [them] that it is necessary to vote and that they can make a difference."
The name "Virginia 21" comes from 21 being the median age of the targeted group of voters.
The movement began last year, drawing initial support from student campaigns to protect higher education funding. Student body presidents from various Virginia universities met and officially created Virginia 21 in June. By the end of this year, Snyder said, the Tech chapter of Virginia 21 will be fully established.
The University of Virginia has been in contact with Virginia 21 leaders this past summer as well. Whether an official chapter will be formed here has not yet been determined, as a modified version may instead be run through the legislative affairs committee of Student Council.
Support at the University seems strong, according to Student Council Chief of Staff Noah Sullivan, who also said there is great potential here.
However, Council President Daisy Lundy said Council may not directly participate.
"We certainly want to be involved in encouraging students to pressure their legislators for higher education funding," Lundy said. "However, we don't want to be involved in the actual endorsing processes of Virginia 21."
The immediate goal of the organization is to get many of the 145,000 state students voting in order to affect this year's elections, in which all 140 seats of the General Assembly are up for election.
"We want to bring politicians to see the students in their environment so that they know and see what's going on at the universities," Snyder said. "We want them to see how budget cuts are affecting these students, and to ultimately prevent any future budget cuts."
The General Assembly is responsible for adopting a biennial budget and introducing, debating and voting on legislation. The Assembly recently has been cutting budgets for higher education across the state, and as a result tuitions are rising and funding for various programs are being cut.
The state budget for the University was reduced by $51.6million for the 2003-04 school year, a 31 percent decrease from the previous year. As a result, in-state undergraduate tuition at U.Va. rose from $2484.50 in 2002-03 to $3169.00 this year, a 27 percent increase.
"Many students today feel that they're distant from the political happenings in Richmond, and they're not," Snyder said.
Through voter registration drives and reminders of important upcoming elections, Virginia 21 aims to keep people informed.
"The people that matter are the people that vote -- we need to make ourselves matter," Sullivan said. "What goes on in Richmond has a direct effect on what goes on at U.Va."
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