St. Bonaventure University
Student Advocacy
May 5, 2025
Dear Students,
Please contact your federal representative now to urge them to support increases in this year’s budget for Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study, and the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG). In addition ask them for their continued support of the Graduate PLUS loan program. This will only take a few minutes, but could make the difference in helping to keep college affordable for all students.
Thank you and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me by phone at (716) 375-2155 or by email.
Tom Buttafarro
Director of Government & Community Relations
St. Bonaventure University
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Click the link below to the Student Aid Alliance website.
2. Delete and change the Subject to: Support Student Aid
3. Delete all the current wording in the Message Body section.
4. Copy and paste our letter below into the Message Body section.
5. Enter your info into the website
6. Press Send Message. This will automatically send your message to your Member of Congress and Senators.
STUDENT AID ALLIANCE WEBSITE:
https://studentaidalliance.org/contact-congress/
LETTER FOR MESSAGE BODY SECTION (feel free to edit as you want, but keep it positive):
As a student at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York, I’m writing to share my thoughts on several important matters related to higher education funding.
I was pleased to learn that the Department of Education has confirmed continued funding for Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study (FWS), and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) at current levels for this academic year. Thank you for your support of these vital programs that help students like me afford a college education.
Looking ahead, I respectfully urge you to support inflationary increases to these programs to better meet student needs. Specifically, I ask that you support raising the maximum Pell Grant by $200 to $7,595, increasing SEOG funding from $910 million to $966 million, and boosting FWS from $1.23 billion to $1.31 billion. At St. Bonaventure, SEOG and FWS are crucial complements to the Pell Grant, helping nearly 400 students cover their educational expenses. These federal programs are matched by generous institutional aid, allowing low-income students to receive additional grant support, earn money through on-campus employment, and reduce their reliance on loans.
I’m also concerned about the proposed elimination of the Graduate PLUS loan. Without this option, many graduate students will be forced to rely more heavily on private loans, potentially limiting access to advanced degrees for those who cannot afford higher borrowing costs. I urge you to oppose this proposal and continue supporting the Graduate PLUS loan program.
Thank you for taking the time to consider these concerns. Your support of federal student aid makes a meaningful difference in the lives of students here at St. Bonaventure University and across the entire country.
Dear Students,
Please contact your federal representative now to urge them to support increases in this year’s budget for Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study, and the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG). In addition ask them for their continued support of the Graduate PLUS loan program. This will only take a few minutes, but could make the difference in helping to keep college affordable for all students.
Thank you and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me by phone at (716) 375-2155 or by email.
Tom Buttafarro
Director of Government & Community Relations
St. Bonaventure University
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Click the link below to the Student Aid Alliance website.
2. Delete and change the Subject to: Support Student Aid
3. Delete all the current wording in the Message Body section.
4. Copy and paste our letter below into the Message Body section.
5. Enter your info into the website
6. Press Send Message. This will automatically send your message to your Member of Congress and Senators.
STUDENT AID ALLIANCE WEBSITE:
https://studentaidalliance.org/contact-congress/
LETTER FOR MESSAGE BODY SECTION (feel free to edit as you want, but keep it positive):
As a student at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York, I’m writing to share my thoughts on several important matters related to higher education funding.
I was pleased to learn that the Department of Education has confirmed continued funding for Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study (FWS), and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) at current levels for this academic year. Thank you for your support of these vital programs that help students like me afford a college education.
Looking ahead, I respectfully urge you to support inflationary increases to these programs to better meet student needs. Specifically, I ask that you support raising the maximum Pell Grant by $200 to $7,595, increasing SEOG funding from $910 million to $966 million, and boosting FWS from $1.23 billion to $1.31 billion. At St. Bonaventure, SEOG and FWS are crucial complements to the Pell Grant, helping nearly 400 students cover their educational expenses. These federal programs are matched by generous institutional aid, allowing low-income students to receive additional grant support, earn money through on-campus employment, and reduce their reliance on loans.
I’m also concerned about the proposed elimination of the Graduate PLUS loan. Without this option, many graduate students will be forced to rely more heavily on private loans, potentially limiting access to advanced degrees for those who cannot afford higher borrowing costs. I urge you to oppose this proposal and continue supporting the Graduate PLUS loan program.
Thank you for taking the time to consider these concerns. Your support of federal student aid makes a meaningful difference in the lives of students here at St. Bonaventure University and across the entire country.
Contact Us
Thomas Buttafarro Jr.
Director
Office of Government & Community Relations
PO Box A, St. Bonaventure, NY 14778