Philly college students protest Pa. cuts to education spending

    Students at Temple and the University of Pennsylvania walked out of class Thursday to protest Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed budget cuts to higher education. “It’s not fair that students have to bear all the burden of the government failing,” said Evan Hoskins who missed his Russian film class to takes part in the rally on Temple’s quad.Past budget cuts have led to tuition hikes at Temple, one of the commonwealth’s four state-related universities.

    Linda Wolfe no longer attends classes.  Already more than $20,000 in debt, she left school in the fall because of tuition hikes. “On a personal level, now that there are even more tuition increases because of state budget cuts for education, I feel that I have to be out here to show Corbett and the rest of the politicians that cutting funds for education is just not something we’re going to stand for.” she said.Wolfe, who said she wants to return to Temple in the fall, fears any future tuition increases will make that impossible.

    Students at the rally, which took place as part of a national day of action on education organized by the Occupy movement, also demanded solutions to student loan debt.

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