Updates

RICHMOND, Va — Gov. Ralph Northam announced this morning Executive Order 77 which will eliminate the use of disposable plastic bags and single-use foodware at all state agencies within 120 days, and phase out the use of other single-use plastics in the state agencies and public universities by 2025. It also directs the Secretary to develop recommendations for reducing solid waste and diverting waste from landfills through composting, reuse, and other strategies. 

A year ago today, exactly one week after the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, the Student PIRGs team launched four new campaigns to contend with the emerging reality of the novel coronavirus. Here’s a look back on some of the highlights of our work.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Thursday that the U.S. Department of Education is taking executive action to improve its borrower defense program. That move will result in about $1 billion in full student loan forgiveness for 72,000 Americans who were defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges. 

Some student loan servicers take advantage of borrowers through unfair, predatory and even illegal lending methods. It’s a problem MASSPIRG and our partners have been working to solve for years — and our efforts were rewarded this past January, when the Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights was passed by the Legislature and then signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker. Nearly 1 million student borrowers across the commonwealth now have the protections they deserve against deceptive lending practices.

Spring is here! As the weather gets warmer, many of us may think back to a year when everything was normal and we could travel and have fun with our friends and family. Although this year is different, we can… Read more

Last week, hundreds of PIRG student leaders across the country advocated for affordable higher education, funding for students’ basic needs, and the support universities need to reopen safely.  Virtual DC Lobby Day 150 PIRG student leaders came to the Capitol… Read more

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives passed a package of democracy reform legislation (H.R. 1) on Wednesday night that features important proposals to improve the health of America’s democracy. The bill would increase participation in the voting process and disclosures… Read more

Any successful modern movement that has changed our country for the better, from civil rights to environmentalism, has featured students and young people at its forefront. Today, that’s as true as ever. Despite a pandemic that forced millions of students… Read more

This national survey of more than 5,000 college students was taken in September 2020, and builds on similar surveys from 2013 and 2019. It offers a snapshot in time of student experiences, particularly those at four-year institutions, in the first full semester of the pandemic and points out more long-term problems that institutions and national leaders must work to solve.

When I say the word “plastic” what immediately comes to your mind? Is it an image of the sea turtle and the straw? The bag you last used at a grocery store? A beach you know that’s coated in pollution?… Read more