SACRAMENTO –On Sunday, February 27, 2007, the University of California Student Association honored Assemblymember Curren Price (D-Inglewood) as their 2007 Legislator of the Year. This award is given once a year to the most outstanding state legislator who shows exceptional commitment to public higher education, and in particular to those issues prioritized by the UC Student Association: accessibility, affordability, and quality.

Assemblymember Price is authoring AB 175 this year, which would augment the Cal Grant B program and increase financial aid to the lowest income and neediest college students in California. The Cal Grant B’s access award has not been adjusted for inflation since it was created over 20 years ago, while the cost of living in California and other incidental costs of college attendance have increased exponentially.  When the award was created, it covered approximately 20% of the indirect costs of transportation, books, and supplies, but the value of that fixed dollar amount has now diminished to cover only 11% of those costs.

“As the total cost of attendance for one year of a college education continues to increase, the state must recommit itself to supporting our future by increasing the educational opportunities for our students,” said Assemblymember Price. “Many factors determine whether a young adult continues to further their education, and cost is one of the most important components of that decision.”

Bill Shiebler, UCSA President, was honored to present the award to Assemblymember Price last Sunday. “Assemblymember Price has become a good friend of UC students, and we are proud to be working with him to break down the barriers to a UC education that many students are facing today,” he said. The University of California Student Association is the official voice of over 200,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students from the ten UC campuses.

Assemblymember Curren Price serves the 51st Assembly District, which includes Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena, Playa Vista, Westchester, Lawndale, West Athens, Lennox, Alondra Park, West Compton, Del Aire, and Willowbrook, as well as portions of the unincorporated area of Ladera.