An important appeal from DFER:

An important appeal from DFER:

All,

Last Friday, Democrats for Education Reform and 58 other organizations signed a letter to President Obama asking that he hold firm against any efforts to cut Pell Grants in the ongoing debt ceiling negotiations. But we need your help now more than ever.

Funding for Pell grants that enables nearly 10 million students to attend college could disappear in a matter of hours.

As of Saturday, Congress missed the 36 hour deadline imposed by Obama to reach a deal on the nation's debt ceiling. So, with the deadline already behind them, a deal could be struck at any moment. Unfortunately, that means Congress' threat to slash Pell Grants could materialize in just a few short hours.

If we're going to save Pell, we need you to act NOW. Here's what you can do:

· Make a call: Dial the White House comment line at 1-888-245-0215 and tell President Obama to take Pell Grant funding off the negotiating table.

· Send a tweet: Tweet to @whitehouse or @barackobama and use the #SavePell hashtag.

· Send an e-mail: Sign this petition and have your message go straight to the President's inbox.

· Tell your friends: Forward this message to five friends and ask them to do the same.

Call, sign, tweet, and email. Join DFER and 58 other reform groups and show your support. Take one action and you can say you did your part. Take three or four actions and you can say you're a true advocate for social justice and the long-term economic health of our country.

Let the president know that you think: America can't afford to sacrifice the future of any more poor or working-class students who are trying to earn their way into the middle class.

59 Groups that joined together to Save Pell:

All Education Matters

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers

American Association of University Women

American Federation of Teachers 

American Medical Student Association

American School Counselor Association

American Student Association of Community Colleges

ASPIRA

Business-Higher Education Forum

Campaign for College Affordability

Campaign for College Opportunity

Campus Progress Action 

Center for Law and Social Policy

Children's Defense Fund

College Summit 

Community College League of California

Corporate Voices for Working Families

Crittenton Women's Union

Democrats for Education Reform

DÄ"mos: A Network for Ideas & Action

The Education Trust

Forum for Youth Investment

Generational Alliance

Green Dot Public Schools

The Greenlining Institute 

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities 

The Institute for College Access & Success

Institute for Higher Education Policy

Jobs for the Future

KIPP Foundation

League of United Latin American Citizens

MomsRising

NAACP

National Association for College Admission Counseling

National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators 

National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs (NASSGAP)

National Black Law Students Association

National College Access Network

National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients)

National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP)

NCLR (National Council of La Raza)

National Education Association

National Organization for Portuguese Americans 

National Skills Coalition

Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project 

Public Advocates

Rebuild the Dream

Rock the Vote 

Roosevelt Institute Campus Network

Single Stop USA

Thurgood Marshall College Fund

UNCF

U.S. Public Interest Research Group

United States Student Association

Women Employed

Workforce Strategies Initiative at The Aspen Institute

Year Up

Young Invincibles

 

Best,

Devin Q. Boyle

Communications Coordinator & Legislative Liaison

Democrats for Education Reform

devin@dfer.org

Office: 202-290-1741

Cell: 202-445-0416