Together, UC and the state of California open doors of opportunity for the next generation, using federal funding to advance scientific and technological breakthroughs, and to provide world-class medical training and patient care. The federal government is a vital partner, and we need its help. Let Congress know that you support investments in UC and California – will you call your legislators?
We need the next COVID-19 bill to include funds that will directly support our communities:
- Direct support for states so they can respond to the virus and provide critical health and well-being services to residents. As states work to recover from this economic crisis, it is critical that the federal government provide support for states to fund key services, including health care, education, safety and others.
- Targeted funding for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to ensure that those helping our most vulnerable patient populations, including public academic medical centers – such as UC’s – can cover the costs of this pandemic and continue to fulfill their public service mission.
- $47 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to support our students and higher education institutions throughout this economic downturn. To help put this in perspective, 72 percent of UC’s California undergrads receive grants and scholarships, with 35 percent receiving federal Pell Grants, which is targeted aid for low income students.
- Additional funding for researchers so they can continue their work on federally-funded projects – even those not directly related to COVID-19 – throughout the pandemic and ensure that our research workforce, including graduate and postdoctoral students, remains strong.
Calling your legislators takes less than five minutes. Just enter your information and wait for your phone to ring. Tips for making a call:
- Expect to speak with a staff member and be prepared to provide your name, town and, possibly, your zip code.
- Did you reach the office’s voicemail? That’s OK: leave a message!
- Explain why you are calling and what action you would like your legislator to take – funding for higher education institutions and states.
- When you’re done, thank the staff member for talking with you.