Higher Education Succumbs To Partisan Politics

Today, the Majority in the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee opted to block three bills that would have made earning a college degree more affordable for New York State scholars.

Assembly Bill 2753 (ACES Program) would cap the total cost to earn a bachelor’s degree for eligible students at a SUNY or CUNY institution for a total no more than $10,000, or $2,500 per year. Assembly Bill 6620 is similar to the ACES program, but is specifically focused on STEM and Agricultural Sciences Degree programs.

“These two bills would give low-income students the ability to pursue the college dream at a reasonable price,” said Lupinacci. “Given the high cost of tuition, many students are forced to maintain full-time jobs in order to afford higher education costs and must balance a financial burden with an intensive workload. This situation automatically puts low income individuals at a time disadvantage. Through reducing the cost of tuition to $2,500 per year, we can expand opportunity and help create an environment where students can better balance work and academics.”

Assembly Bill 4484 was also blocked by the Assembly Majority in the Higher Education Committee. This legislation would provide an annual loan forgiveness award to high-tech graduates who agree to work in New York State in the field in which the graduate holds a degree.

“This legislation would entice some of our brightest scholars to remain within New York’s borders. It would also encourage competition, raising the industries’ standards and allowing New York to once again lead the way in the technological advancement,” said Lupinacci. “The SUNY system has so many talented and workforce ready graduates; we must do more to retain these individuals. Programs like this are excellent ways to do so. This legislation, along with many other bills supported by the Assembly Minority, is common-sense. There is no reason any of these measures should be blocked from being brought to the floor and discussed. By playing politics with higher education, we are also playing with the future of New York’s economy.”