Tamburg 
CEO in training of UBMS
Posts: 118
(2/10/06 6:44 pm)
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Sample Letter
A sample letter may look like the following (feel free to cut and paste into a word document):
DRAFT SAMPLE LETTER
Senator XXXXX
XXXXXXX
Washington, DC XXXXX
Dear Senator____: (or Representative ______)
I am writing to bring to your attention my strong support for the TRIO programs. As you are aware, TRIO is one of the nation’s most important educational initiatives designed to advance equal educational opportunity in America. For the second straight year, President Bush included in his FY 2007 Budget Proposal the elimination of 2 of TRIO’s five programs (Upward Bound and Talent Search).
The elimination of these TRIO programs would not only deny thousands of students the necessary support for enrolling in college, it would widen the gap between low-income, first-generation students and their peers. The TRIO programs provide an important pipeline of educational outreach and student support services to students from middle school through college.
Last year, the Labor/HHS bill had originally funded TRIO at the same level as FY 2005, $836.5 million. However, in passing the Defense Appropriations bill, Congress included a 1% across-the-board cut in all discretionary spending. This action brought the TRIO appropriation for FY 2006 to $828.2 million.
These cuts to the TRIO programs not only prevent future students from becoming part of the TRIO programs, but also hurt our current TRIO programs, including those in your district. Therefore, I strongly urge you to not only restore funding levels for the Talent Search and Upward Bound programs, but also to increase funding for all TRIO programs by $171.8 million to $1 billion while strengthening its pre-college components.
At a time when obtaining a postsecondary degree is essential to all Americans becoming productive citizens, the TRIO programs provide crucial help to retain and graduate low-income students. There is a growing disparity in the high school graduation rates between low and high income students, diminishing America’s overall competitiveness.
Thank you for your continued support of the XXX TRIO programs in District XXXX. With your support, the TRIO community is certain we can once again defeat the proposal to eliminate these important programs and continue to serve students in XXXX.
Sincerely,
XXXXXXXXXX
XXXX Program
XXXXX, XXXXXXX
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