A professor of human services emailed more than 200 students in February and asked them to lobby the Anne Arundel County Council and the state Legislature for more community college funding.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s budget for fiscal year 2025 proposes reducing funding to community colleges, including a cut of almost $2 million for AACC.
Meinsler said in order to make up for these cuts, the county, another source of AACC’s funding, needs to “step up.”
“The more voices the better,” Meinsler said. “Faculty, staff, students, administration, we all have a stake in it. We all should have our voices heard.”
Meinsler said the best way to advocate for more funding is for students to email or call their county and state representatives.
“Don’t just sit back and think somebody else is going to do it,” Meinsler said. “The more voices that are heard, the [more] potential for change.”
Meinsler said even a small increase in funding from the county “could really make an impact.”
“I’m not giving up hope,” Meinsler said. “I’m just hopeful that people will just feel like they do have a voice.”
Meinsler testified at a county budget town hall in February.