Editor, Daily Nexus,

This past Wednesday, the House of Representatives approved President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill. If approved by the Senate, this bill will invest $825 billion in America to create 4 million new jobs, help alleviate the suffering caused by the Bush depression, and sow the seeds of new prosperity. But what’s in it for college students?

That’s a great question, because we know that prosperity relies on a well educated workforce.

Here’s the answer: The president’s plan will invest $15.6 billion in Federal Pell Grants to help students stay in college, $490 million for Federal Work Study so students can keep their jobs on campus even in this time of crisis, $6 billion to repair crumbling buildings at colleges and universities like ours, $2 billion in research grants for renewable energy and $3 billion for the National Science Foundation, including $2 billion in research grants for students and $1 billion to update labs.

Unsurprisingly, the Republican Party has come out against this plan. They say that spending money on college students is a waste. Instead, they want to cut taxes on the richest Americans, as George W. Bush did. That’s foolish, because a recent study by Moody’s Chief Economist Mark Zandi showed that every dollar invested in rebuilding America yields more than $1.59 in growth. However, every dollar wasted on tax cuts for the rich only returns $0.30!

There will be other votes on this bill before the middle of February, so get out there and call your Congressperson now! Let them know that you support investing in a better tomorrow for all Americans, Democrat and Republican. Voting for change is a start, but change only happens when people like you and I stand up and demand it!