Curran Discusses College Affordability with Siena College Officials

(Left to right): Assemblyman Brian Curran; Catherine Herrmann, a senior at Siena; Jason Rich, Director of Communications at Siena College and Ned Jones, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Siena College.

This week, Assemblyman Brian Curran (Lynbrook-21st A.D.) was visited in Albany by Catherine Herrmann, a senior at Siena College and a resident of Freeport, along with Vice President for Enrollment Management at Siena Ned Jones and Director of Communications Jason Rich. The contingent visited the assemblyman to discuss the negative impact Gov. Cuomo’s “free-tuition” proposal will have on the school, as well as other private colleges and universities within the state and the families most in need of financial assistance.

“I was very pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the pressing issue of college affordability with Catherine and administrators at Siena College,” said Curran. “The governor’s plan may very well cripple the ability of New York’s private colleges and universities to continue to operate and offer quality education to so many of our students. That is unacceptable.”

Jones listed financial aid as the number one cost driver at Siena College and believes that holds true for other private institutions in New York State. In other words, the more the school tries to help families wishing to send their children to Siena but who do not qualify for enough New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funds and Federal Pell grants, the higher tuition rises.

Gov. Cuomo’s free-tuition proposal helps only those who choose to attend SUNY or CUNY institutions and does nothing for many hardworking families throughout the state and on Long Island. The proposal by Assembly Republicans, which was called “spot on” by Jones, would increase the household income threshold for TAP from $80,000 to $125,000 to include more families. A household income of $80,000 goes a lot further in upstate than it does for hardworking residents of Long Island. The plan also proposes increasing the maximum TAP award by $1,300 over five years, allowing graduate students to be eligible for TAP and providing a tax credit for those already paying on student loans.

“The plan proposed by the Assembly Republicans is better than we could have hoped for,” said Jones. “There are so many families that fall through the cracks between making ‘too much’ to qualify for additional state and federal aid, but not enough to pay for a quality education at a college that provides the best chance for them to succeed. That is where Siena College tries to help make up the difference so we can provide the education of a lifetime to as many students as possible. This proposed plan will provide aid to a larger number of families, allowing the college to serve more families.”

“Catherine, a resident of Freeport and one of four children, shared her family’s story with me and why she chose to attend Siena over other schools,” continued Curran. “Among her reasons are the small class sizes and one-on-one interaction with professors that you cannot always find at larger schools. Her main reason, however, was that Siena was able to offer her family the best financial aid package. That is a story that rings true for so many Long Islanders, and I will continue my fight to make college affordable for more families statewide.”

College affordability legislation may be one of several education-based issues debated during this year’s budget negotiations in the coming weeks. The budget is due April 1 at 12:00 a.m.