2009: In May, the Student PIRGs helped convince Congress to pass strong legislation, called the “Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act” that will halt the most egregious abuses by the credit card industry. The CARD bill eliminates a lot of unfair practices, including: excessive and growing penalty fees, unfair billing practices, and unjustified and retroactive interest charges. It also restricts and requires greater transparency for marketing targeted exclusively at college campuses or consumers under the age of 21. Despite the credit card industry's lobbying to defeat or gut the bill, the Senate and the House both passed the bill with overwhelming, bi-partisan majorities.

In February, The Student PIRGs helped convince Congress to include several key measures in the economic stimulus package.  The final package included a $17 billion increase in Pell grant funding, more work-study aid, and bigger tax credits for low-income students and their families.  The bill also included critical funding for programs that will create jobs and protect the environment, including $16 billion for public transit and $78 billion for clean energy and green infrastructure.

2008: In August we helped get an Affordable Textbooks provision included in the federal Higher Education Opportunity Act. The provision helps lower the cost of textbooks for millions of students by requiring publishers to disclose textbook pricing and revision information to faculty and requiring publishers to offer textbooks and supplemental materials "unbundled." It also asks colleges to provide the list of assigned textbooks, including prices, for each course when students are registering for classes.

2007: Maryland PIRG students worked on a campaign to protect Maryland's open spaces. When the Governor introduced his budget on January 19th, he remained true to his pledge and didn't divert any funding from Program Open Space and the other land conservation programs.

2007: Maryland PIRG students worked with a national coalition to help pass the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, the largest increase in federal student aid in 20 years. This law also made dramatic cuts in interest rates for student loans. We followed up by helping pass the Higher Education Opportunity Act, which was signed by President Bush in August 2008. That law contains several important policy changes, including an increase in the maximum authorized level of the Pell Grant to $9,000.

2006:  Maryland PIRG students worked to pass the Healthy Air Act, the strongest state law in the country to reduce pollution from the dirtiest coal-fired power plants.  Students gathered hundreds of signatures to local legislators and erected a 20-foot tall inflatable power plant on Hornbake Mall to raise awareness about the campaign.

2005:  Maryland PIRG students in the Hunger and Homelessness campaign raised over $8000 to send a group of 30 students to the Biloxi, Mississippi region to help with Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts.  The students spent 10 days in the region, helping with debris cleanup, rebuilding houses, and serving those displaced by this disaster.

2005:  Maryland PIRG students worked with a national coalition to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from efforts to drill for oil and gas in its pristine wilderness.

2004:  Maryland PIRG and the UMVotes coalition helped register 5,000 students in College Park to vote in the Fall 2004 election. The effort helped result in a 11% increase in turnout for 18 to 24 year old voters from the 2000 to the 2004 election.

2004:  With the help of state senator John Giannetti, Maryland PIRG secured $32,000 from the state legislature to fund recycling bins for McKeldin Mall and Fraternity Row.  They are now working with Facilities Management to coordinate the placement of these bins.