Accomplishments

Hunger and Homelessness
Domestic violence separates women and children from vital resources - in St. Louis, lack of access to public transportation exacerbates the problem. In 2006, MoPIRG's Hunger Cleanup raised $4,000 to provide metro and bus passes for the women and children at the Women’s Safe House.

New Voters Project
MoPIRG coordinated the New Voters Project in 2004 and registered over 1,500 students as part of a national non-partisan effort to register 18-24 year olds.

Affordable Textbooks
MoPIRG’s Affordable Textbooks campaign documented practices within the textbook industry that drive up textbook prices. Working with campus faculty, MoPIRG is calling on publishers to lower the price of textbooks – already, one publisher has announced a new line of low-cost books.

Wilderness Protection
MoPIRG educated students about the urgent need to protect our National Forests, collecting 1,200 public comments in support of protecting forests in the Ozarks and across the country. In response to public outcry, the Forest Service issued the Roadless Rule, ordering the protection of 58.5 million acres of roadless area in our national forests.

Water Quality
MoPIRG gained recognition as a Missouri Stream Team by the Missouri Conservation Department. MoPIRG performed two successful river clean-ups pulling out debris such as tires, rope, and metal. In addition, students performed chemical tests on the water.

Consumer Protection
MoPIRG released its' annual toy safety report before the holiday season. The reports have led to the removal of over 100 dangerous toys from the shelves.

MoPIRG's groundbreaking report of credit card marketing on campus has prompted legislation and other policies to restrict misleading marketing of credit cards to college students.

Higher Education
MoPIRG worked with a national coalition to convince the U.S. House of Representatives to pass HR 5, which would cut in half the interest rate on student loans.  The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, by a vote of 356 to 71.  The bill would lower interest rates over five years on subsidized Stafford student loans, which are used overwhelmingly by students from low- and middle-income families.  This would save the average low or middle-income borrower starting school in 2007 $2,300 in debt.