The Student Government Association hosted a panel of administrators last week to talk about bread and butter issues for students: tuition and pricing.

The panel was put together as a part of SGA’s attempt to “provide different opportunities to advance educational affordability” for students, according to President Matthew von Nida.

One issue that was brought up regarding educational affordability was the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, which is financial aid that’s offered to students who are in need of paying for higher education. About 5,000 DePaul students are MAP recipients.

SGA Vice President Cristina Vera is a MAP recipient and said it’s helped her in affording higher education because of the limits a high tuition has on someone who comes from a low-income family.

“Higher education might not always be an opportunity for (MAP recipients),” Vera said. “Adding more ways for them to receive financial aid (such as MAP), definitely helps them.”

DePaul Executive Vice President Bob Kozoman, however, said the Illinois MAP

program has “been all over the place” and has been cutting off the application deadline much sooner than it has in past years. If there were eventually MAP cuts, Kozoman said the university

would have to find the money somewhere else, although he said he doesn’t think DePaul “would take the approach of just losing those students” as a result.

In addition to talking about educational affordability however, SGA also hosted the tuition panel to make sure administrators are being more mindful of students.

“(We need to show administrators) this is what DePaul students can do, and this is what we need to be keeping in mind,” von Nida said. “We have to show them (certain reasons) why we can’t continue to raise tuition as much as it has risen in the past.”

According to von Nida, consulting with administrators about different models of tuition pricing is important because every student has a unique set of needs, which can ultimately help to promote the Vincentian mission.

“Our goals are having all those different outlets for students to continue their higher education,” von Nida said. “(They can) get that degree and go out into the world, (where they can) live the Vincentian mission in real life, and do the service work in their industries that they desire.”