LUPINACCI HEARS TESTIMONY FROM HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERS

Assemblyman Lupinacci, the Ranking Member on Higher Education, listens to a speaker during a public hearing in Albany on February 8.

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Assemblyman Chad A. Lupinacci, the Ranking Member on the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, welcomed SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher and other New York State higher education leaders to the Capitol on February 8 for a public hearing dedicated to the 2016 Higher Education budget.

Lupinacci and educational leaders discussed funding for the 2016-2017 fiscal year, renewal of the SUNY2020 program, capital investments in the State University and community college cooperation.

“The insight of our higher education leaders is certainly valuable, as it allows me to hear first-hand the testimony of the challenges that face our higher education infrastructure,” Lupinacci said.

The day after the hearing, Lupinacci and his Assembly Minority colleagues unveiled a legislative package designed to alleviate the burden of rising college debt on New York students.

“One of the biggest obstacles that New York’s young men and women face is the crippling burden of college debt. Over the past few decades, higher education costs have increased by a staggering 172 percent,” Lupinacci said. “We must do more to keep our students’ collegiate and professional hopes alive by combating the skyrocketing cost of higher education. Hearings like these allow lawmakers in New York State to hear the advice of experts and craft legislation which will effectively address this vital issue.”