The SUNY New Paltz campus. (photo by Dion Ogust)
The New York State budget approved this weekend provides for free tuition for full-time students from families with an adjusted gross income of $125,000 or less. Tuition is currently $6,470 per year. Other expenses, mainly room and board, average around $14,000 per year and won’t be affected. The program will be phased in starting this fall with families with incomes of $100,000 or less, then $110,000 or less in 2018 and $125,000 in 2019. The state estimates 940,000 families will be eligible when the program is fully phased in. The estimated cost for year one is $163 million.
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Ummmmm YEAH obviously. Investing in higher education is vital. I’m no fan of Cuomo but we should support this- it’s a realization of something Bernie championed. While president Screaming Carrot Demon tries to take the country back to the 19th century it’s nice to live someplace that’s investing in the future instead of perpetuating inequality. This is NOT a handout. Handouts are when the government pays people to sit on their ass zonked out on oxycodone and watch reality tv and “go live” on facebook to state their opinions, then they vote “Dem” to keep it going. NO… this is enabling people who want to improve themselves to do so. They’ll still have plenty to pay for with room & board and might need loans but it will be less.
Sure, just reimburse those of us who paid full price plus interest. Or at least pay off these loans we’ve been laboring under during the extended recession.
Indeed! My sentiments exactly.
Many are already eligible for “free” tuition using TAP and PELL and they don’t use it. It might be better if the governor looks at the rules governing eligibility. It is ludicrous that for various reasons they can still consider a parent’s income up until the student is 35 years old. Some of the rules are really outdated. Or that a 23-year-old who has been living on his/her own and is self-supporting should still have to be deemed dependent on parents. Try fixing the mess we have before creating a new one.
$14,000 for room and board for nine months.
$8,000 rent $6,000 food and drink
$8,000 x4 beds=$32,000
One single family house property taxes-$2,000
Rooming house bed tax $640