Tuition payments might weigh less on minds and wallets because of the work of two Western students.

Student Government Association President Johnathon Boles and Danville junior Kevin Smiley joined other students from across the state in discussing how to make college affordable at the first meeting of the Student Advisory Committee in Frankfort on Wednesday.

There are 18 members on the committee.

Boles and Smiley were appointed to represent Western on the committee, which was created by Gov. Steve Beshear to get feedback on the financial problems students face in higher education.

“We have got to stand up and say that the Commonwealth of Kentucky wants college to be more affordable,” Boles said.

On Wednesday, Boles and Smiley sat in on a meeting of the Higher Education Work Group, which is composed of members of state cabinets and aims to help make college more affordable.

They also met with the student committee, which is a branch of the work group, Smiley said.

Several members of the work group attended the student committee’s meeting to hear the firsthand experiences of students, Smiley said.

The committee discussed higher education budget cuts as well as how to simplify the loan process, Smiley said.

He said there are so many different levels of loans that students don’t know about them all.

“We want to bring them all under one umbrella,” Smiley said.

Boles said it’s unique for students to be a part of these discussions.

“We’re the ground troops,” he said. “Students know what’s going on.”

The work group will present legislation to the General Assembly in January as well as prepare a report in September about the state’s education goals for 2020, Smiley said.

He said input from the student committee will influence the report and the legislation.

“Because this is our reality, we’re also a real part of making the situation better,” Smiley said.

President Gary Ransdell said at a SGA meeting on Nov. 11 that he hopes the student committee can collaborate with the work group to reach a consistent level of state funding so there won’t be fluctuations in tuition.

The student committee will continue discussions on Facebook until they meet again on Jan. 15, Boles said.