I was in college in the late 70's, and went back for grad school in the mid 80's. In both cases (and two widely seperate states, Colorado and Massachusetts) the PIRG donation was clearly marked among the fees on my tuition papers, and the do pay/don't pay options labeled in big friendly letters.

And while I never went out stumping for PIRG donations, I have a friend who did, and who didn't think of it as a paying job. It was volunteer work, plain and simple, and the little money that she was given was to cover her lunch.

Sounds a little different from the previous version, neh?