By David R. Kazak

Four years ago Michelle Birch, a University of Illinois at Springfield student, was a single parent dependent on welfare. However, Monday Birch found herself two seats away from President Bill Clinton, telling him a success story how she got off welfare and became a student leader.

Birch told the president it was hard work getting off welfare to become a student. She said it was easier to pick up a welfare check than it was to receive federal student aid. Now with the federal aid program like the direct student loan program in place, she said her journey has become much easier.

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Birch was one of 11 students who met with Clinton before his speech Monday at a roundtable discussion about federal financial aid. The students ranged from undergraduates to graduates. Their ages spanned nearly 20 years. Each had a story to tell about federal financial aid.

Because she does not want to see people in similar situations as hers, she said she wanted the president to know she supports his stand on saving financial aid programs like the DSLP, which was created by Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill..

Birch, a single mom with one son, said she needs the federal aid programs and does not know how she could better herself without it.

I just want to go to school, Birch said. I want my son to say My mom has a job,’ instead of My mom goes down to the welfare office every month.’

I want a little pride in there, she said.

Clinton began the discussion shortly after 11 a.m. Monday. SIUC Financial Aid Director Pam Britton moderated, keeping the topic on financial aid. After Clinton made a few opening remarks to the students and media, the students took over.

Each told of their support for federal aid programs and their fear of cuts. Most said were it not for federal programs like the Pell grant or subsidized loans for graduate students, attending college would be impossible.

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Clinton said repeatedly that Washington officials need to hear stories like Birch’s before they decide on federal aid issues. Those decision are expected to be made by the Senate later this week.

Clinton said vast cuts in federal aid programs like the DSLP will hurt America’s future by destroying incentive to go to college. Republican critics like U.S. Rep. Donald Manzullo, R-Ill, said Clinton is using scare tactics to advance his pet programs.

Clinton said one foundation Republicans are using for their claims that the DSLP is costing more, a Congressional Budget Office report that states the DSLP will cost $1.5 billion, is actually nothing but smoke and mirrors.

They pulled an incredible gimmick, Clinton said. The new majority in Congress got the people who run their budget office to pull an incredible gimmick. Clinton said the Budget Office played with numbers so badly it makes the DSLP look more expensive than it is.

It is bizarre, Clinton said. And it’s classicit’s a special interest group that overlooks the fact that the stories that you all have told are good stories for America’s future.

Two SIUC students, USG President Duane Sherman and Black Graduate Student Association President Vanika Mock, also participated in the discussion. They also spoke of their support for the presidents program.

But it was Noemi Rivera-Morales, a graduate student at Indiana University who works in IU’s financial aid department, who grabbed the presidents attention toward the end of the discussion.

Mr. President, she said, cutting into the discussion of another student. A point very important that is missed out in the debate is that the direct lending is substantially less bureaucratic.

She then displayed the direct lending forms used at IU as an example of how simple she said she thinks it is. This stirred the other students into offering comments about how simple it is, and the discussion changed from formal to informal quickly. Students were talking back and forth so fast that Clinton could not get a word out without being interrupted.

Britton gained control by asking the students to let the president talk. When she said this, the students quickly snapped back into formal mode and listened to the president speak.

Other issues discussed included student loan default rates, student loan caps and federal work-study programs.