Anti-Higher One rallies to continue

Student leaders are planning a rally to occur during student government’s meeting with Portland State President Daniel Bernstine about the university’s contract with Higher One on Thursday.

The meeting was the result of a protest last Tuesday, in which over 200 students staged a sit-in in the president’s office, and it is being held to discuss whether or not the Higher One contract will be broken.

Higher One is the Connecticut-based company that has issued the university’s new ID cards and will take over all future financial aid disbursements for the school.

Student government will encourage students to meet in the Park Blocks Thursday to protest, but the time and place of the actual Higher One meeting have not been announced. According to Tony Rasmussen, student government communications director, Bernstine will reach a decision about whether or not to break the contract no later than Dec. 6.

Since the university announced its contract with the ID/debit card provider, student leaders have fought bitterly with administrators, saying that students were left out of the decision process and accusing Higher One of unfair pricing and misleading information.

Portland State administrators say that the new program offers easier financial aid disbursement for students at a low cost.

Students began receiving the new ID cards this month.