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Supporting the Promise of Education: A Call to Action

Dear LMU Community,

I write to you today with urgency and with hope.

At Loyola Marymount University, our Catholic mission, rooted in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions, calls us to uphold the dignity of every person, foster access to education, and advance the common good. This mission guides us as we respond to developments that could significantly impact both the undergraduate and graduate students we serve.

The Senate Reconciliation Package, currently under consideration, proposes cuts to federal financial aid programs that would profoundly affect students across the nation, especially those from low-income and first-generation backgrounds. These are the very students whose lives are most transformed by the promise of a university education.

This is not a matter of politics, but of principle and purpose. Our commitment to justice, equity, and access compels us to act. The decisions made in the coming weeks will shape the educational future for thousands of students and their families for years to come.

We join our colleagues across the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) in calling for equitable support of students through robust federal financial aid. But we cannot do this alone: We need Lion voices from across the country — your voice.

Here’s how you can help:

  1. Please contact your senators, especially if you reside outside California, to express your support for student financial aid. We even have customizable letter templates for students, as well as parents and alumni, for your convenience. 
  2. You may customize the above template(s) by sharing your story about the impact of financial aid on your educational journey or that of someone you know.
  3. Invite others in your network, particularly in key states, to do the same.

Senate leadership is moving swiftly, with a goal of finalizing the budget bill by July 4. This is our window to advocate for the future of our students and the values we hold dear.

Thank you for standing with our students, for living our mission, and for your continued commitment to a more just and inclusive world.

With gratitude,

Thomas Poon, Ph.D.
President