Free Tuition for New York Public College Students Under Proposed Scholarship Plan

NEW YORK, NY — Nearly one million students from middle- and working-class families attending public colleges and universities in New York state would no longer pay tuition if an unprecedented scholarship plan proposed Tuesday morning by Gov. Andrew Cuomo makes it through the state legislature.

Cuomo announced the plan at a Tuesday morning press conference alongside Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former NYC mayoral candidate Bill Thompson.

"The American Dream lives in the state of New York and nobody is taking it away," Cuomo said. "And that's what this program is about."

The Governor's plan — which he's calling the "Excelsior Scholarship" — would make tuition free at State University of New York (SUNY) campuses, City University of New York (CUNY) campuses and two-year community colleges for students whose families earn less than $125,000 per year, Cuomo said Tuesday at LaGuardia Community College in Queens. The plan would cost the state an estimated $163 million per year once it is fully phased in, according to a press release from Cuomo's office.

If passed by the state legislature, the Excelsior Scholarship program would be launched this year and would take three years for a full implementation of the program. New Yorkers making up to $100,000 annually would be eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship in the fall of 2017. In 2018 the cutoff would increase to $110,000 and it would reach $125,000 in 2019.

Whether or not the ambitious plan will pass is another question. The New York State Legislature's two chambers are controlled by opposite parties. The State Assembly has a large Democrat majority which will likely side with the Democrat governor, but the State Senate is a more complicated battleground.

The State Senate is controlled by Republicans with the aid of the seven-member Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) — a group of Democrats which caucus with the Republicans. But the IDC could side with the Governor and Senate Democrats, evening the playing field in the State Senate.

Democratic State Senators — such as Todd Kaminsky of Rockville Centre — are likely to support the free tuition plan.

"I applaud Governor Cuomo for this bold move to educate our youth and keep them in New York," Kaminsky said in a statement. "We need to think big and give our young people the opportunities to excel without crippling debt."

Republican State Assemblyman Brian Curran — who represents the 21st Assembly District in Nassau County — said that he wishes the Governor's proposal would include students of families making more than $125,000 annually who don't qualify for programs such as tuition assistance.

"Instead of targeting only a small and select group of young adults as the Governor does in his Free College Proposal, I would recommend that we pursue legislation that will make College more affordable and obtainable for EVERY young adult in New York State," Curran said in a statement sent to Patch.

Under the plan, 940,000 families with college-aged children would qualify to attend public two- and four-year colleges and universities, according to the press release. Currently, 80 percent of households in New York State make less than $125,000 per year, according to the press release. Students must be enrolled full-time to qualify for the Excelsior Scholarship.

With the national economy in flux, a college education has become more necessary than ever, Cuomo said Tuesday. But paying for such an education has at the same time become much more difficult, due to high tuition costs and lingering student debt, he said.

The cost of tuition for full-time students pursuing a bachelor's degree at a SUNY or CUNY school ranges from $6,470-$6,330 and the cost of tuition for students pursuing an associates degree at a two-year college ranges from $4,350-$4,800, according to a press release from Cuomo's office.

According to the governor, 70 percent of jobs in New York State require a college education. However, because the average college-educated person graduates with $30,000 in student loan debt, entering the current job market is like "starting a race with an anchor attached to your leg."

Sanders — who campaigned for free tuition for public universities during his 2016 run for president — echoed Cuomo's statements that a changing economy requires a well-educated workforce. Thirty years ago the United States had the highest percentage of college-educated citizens but now ranks No. 11, Sanders said Tuesday.

Sanders predicted Tuesday that if New York passes a plan to provide free tuition for public colleges and universities that other states would soon follow suit.

"If the United States is to succeed in a highly competitive global economy, we need the best educated workforce in the world," Sanders said. "With exploding technology, and with most of the good paying jobs requiring more and more education, we need to make certain that every New Yorker, every Vermonter and every American gets all the education they need regardless of family income."

This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates.

Photo courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo