NEWS RELEASE

For release January 7, 2005  

NYPIRG REPORT: PATAKI RECORD ON HIGHER EDUCATION IS GRIM

IN PAST TEN YEARS, COST HAS INCREASED, FINANCIAL AID HAS NOT KEPT PACE, AND STATE SUPPORT HAS DECLINED

URGE TO REVERSE TREND AND REINVEST IN COLLEGES AND STUDENTS

As Governor George E. Pataki begins his tenth year in office this month, the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) today released a paper on the Administration’s higher education record. They reported that in the past ten years, the overall cost of the state’s public colleges has increased dramatically while financial aid has not kept pace. In addition, funding for public and independent sector higher education has remained flat and campus services have been cut.

“The Pataki Administration’s higher education record is grim,” said Miriam Kramer, NYPIRG’s higher education coordinator. “In the past decade, we have seen substantial increases in cost and insufficient funding for colleges and essential campus programs.”

The paper highlights the Pataki Administration proposals and the final budget outcomes for higher education for each year since 1995. They found that during the past decade:

• Tuition and fees have jumped dramatically, while financial aid has been reduced.
• Opportunity financial aid programs have sustained the most severe cuts and struggle to survive with current funding, which is below their 1994-95 funding levels.
• New York students have taken on more college-related debt.
• State support has remained relatively flat, while cost has increased.
• Full-time faculty lines have been reduced, thus threatening the quality of public college education.

In response to the report findings, NYPIRG urged the Governor propose an Executive Budget that holds the line on tuition and increases funding for higher education.

“We hope that in his 11th year—in the 11th hour—that Governor Pataki will increase funding for students and colleges,” added Kramer. “Higher education has for too long been on the budget chopping block and it’s time to reverse this trend and invest in the future of New York State.”

State law requires that the Governor’s budget must be released no later than January 18, 2005.

For copies of the report visit the NYPIRG website at www.nypirg.org/higher_ed/patakirecord.pdf or call the NYPIRG office at (518) 436-0876 for a faxed copy.

For more information contact Miriam Kramer

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