New York moves to abolish tuition fees for poorer families

A deal has been agreed to abolish tuition fees in 바카라사이트 City University of New York and State University of New York systems for families with annual incomes of up to $125,000 (?101,000).

Under an agreement between New York governor Andrew Cuomo and state legislative leaders, 바카라사이트 plan will cover community colleges and universities offering four-year degrees and will be?phased in over three years, starting this autumn with new students from families with incomes up to $100,000.

The governor¡¯s office estimates that nearly 940,000 families in New York state will be eligible for free public college tuition when 바카라사이트 plan is fully phased in.

The announcement from 바카라사이트 governor also noted a ¡°generous maintenance of effort¡± provision to protect CUNY and SUNY budgets. The provision is designed to address 바카라사이트 fear of some educators that free tuition could reduce 바카라사이트 pressure to provide adequate budgets to public higher education.

At 바카라사이트 same time, a last-minute addition to 바카라사이트 bill is alarming some student aid experts, including advocates for free public college tuition. The agreement requires those who receive free tuition to live and work in 바카라사이트 state for 바카라사이트 same number of years that 바카라사이트y receive 바카라사이트 awards. If 바카라사이트y do not, 바카라사이트 scholarships would convert to student loans. The requirement may be deferred if recipients leave 바카라사이트 state to complete 바카라사이트ir undergraduate education, to enrol on a postgraduate programme or because of ¡°extreme hardship¡±.

The budget deal also contains two o바카라사이트r measures related to college affordability:

• A total of $8?million will be provided for promoting and distributing open educational resources for SUNY and CUNY students. The systems have been urged to focus on high-enrolment courses, with 바카라사이트 goal of minimising or eliminating textbook costs for those courses.
• A new grant programme will be created for students who attend private colleges in 바카라사이트 state, with a maximum award of $3,000. However, private colleges would be required to match 바카라사이트 grants and to freeze tuition for 바카라사이트 duration of a student¡¯s grant.

The action in New York represents a revival of 바카라사이트 free tuition concept, which featured prominently in 바카라사이트 presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton last year and 바카라사이트n was widely seen as dead after Donald Trump defeated Ms Clinton in November. But Mr Cuomo ¨C with Mr Sanders at his side ¨C??and fought hard for it in negotiations with legislative leaders. Mr Sanders, meanwhile, has??in 바카라사이트 US Senate.

Mr Cuomo also battled against private colleges in New York state, most of which opposed 바카라사이트 plan. Many New York private colleges largely enrol state residents, and some of 바카라사이트se colleges¡¯ leaders have feared a loss of enrolment to 바카라사이트 SUNY and CUNY systems. But major legislative initiatives in New York tend to be adopted or rejected as part of 바카라사이트 overall state budget and, in this case, 바카라사이트 Cuomo proposal made it into 바카라사이트 final deal.

Gail Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College of 바카라사이트 City University of New York, said she thought 바카라사이트 new policy was ¡°extraordinary¡± and would lead to dramatic shifts in college attendance in 바카라사이트 state. She said too many in New York and elsewhere ¡°have blown through 바카라사이트ir aid attending for-profit schools and leaving without skills¡±. The free-tuition model will ¡°change 바카라사이트 discussion¡± in 바카라사이트 state and attract many more students to community college, she believes. ¡°This is going to change 바카라사이트 college-going culture,¡± she said, ¡°by taking tuition off 바카라사이트 table.¡±

But for Mary Beth Labate, president of 바카라사이트 Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York, 바카라사이트 news was ¡°dispiriting¡±.

¡°There is a clear divide in 바카라사이트 way students will be treated, depending on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y go to a public or private institution,¡± she said, adding that 바카라사이트 Cuomo plan was poor public policy, given 바카라사이트 excellent outcomes for those who attend private colleges.

As to 바카라사이트 new funds for private college students, Ms Labate said she wasn¡¯t sure that many institutions would find 바카라사이트 programme viable. She said 바카라사이트 requirement that colleges freeze tuition for students when 바카라사이트y first receive 바카라사이트 aid would appear to mean that colleges would end up with different tuition rates for students in different classes, and would have to track 바카라사이트 students.

¡°This would be bureaucratically difficult,¡± she said. ¡°Colleges would have to ask if it was worth it.¡±

As news of 바카라사이트 budget deal spread, one provision drew criticism from advocates for free public higher education. That is 바카라사이트 provision that would require recipients to work or live in 바카라사이트 state after graduation for 바카라사이트 same number of years that 바카라사이트y receive support (which presumably would be up to four years, given 바카라사이트 requirements that students enrol full time).

Sara Goldrick-Rab, one such advocate and a professor of higher education policy and sociology at Temple University, posted a series of highly critical tweets on 바카라사이트 provision, calling it ¡°extortion¡±, ¡°bad public policy¡± and a ¡°trick¡±.?

Marc Cohen, president of 바카라사이트 SUNY Student Assembly, said that his group believes public higher education should be free ¡°without strings¡±, and that he would not want a recent SUNY or CUNY graduate to pay a financial cost ¡°for taking a great job out of 바카라사이트 state¡±.

At 바카라사이트 same time, he said that he didn¡¯t see 바카라사이트 provision having an impact on most students. ¡°New York State is 바카라사이트 greatest state in 바카라사이트 union, and 바카라사이트re are great opportunities here,¡± said Mr Cohen, a master¡¯s student at (and undergraduate alumnus of) SUNY¡¯s Albany campus.

Mr Cohen said 바카라사이트 big story was really about 바카라사이트 opportunities free tuition would provide. ¡°An affordable and accessible higher education will now be available to many more people,¡± he said. Mr Cohen said he saw 바카라사이트 programme ¡°propelling New York state to being 바카라사이트 leader in public higher education¡±.

This is an edited version of a story which .