state campaign | national campaign | take action | publications | media | main higher education page | www.nypirg.org

NEWS RELEASE

COLLEGE STUDENTS URGE GOVERNOR TO SIGN LEGISLATIVE BUDGET FOR HIGHER EDUCATION INTO LAW

As the Senate and Assembly worked to pass their higher education budget agreement today before the state budget deadline, the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) kicked off a campaign to urge Governor Pataki to sign the budget into law. The legislature's budget for higher education holds the line on tuition and increases funding for colleges and financial aid.

“This is the most higher-education-friendly budget that New York has seen in a very long time, probably since before many of today's college students were born,” said Miriam Kramer, NYPIRG's government policy analyst. “It's now up to the governor to sign this legislation into law to leave a legacy of a more affordable, accessible, quality education for New York 's college students and families.”

“The Senate and Assembly agreement includes much-needed funding for colleges and financial aid," added Kramer. “If passed into law, this budget plan would reverse past trends that have left colleges and universities starved for funding and skyrocketed the cost of higher education.”

Campuses across the state began emailing and faxing letters to Governor Pataki urging for him to sign the legislature's budget into law.

The Senate and Assembly budget for higher education for 2006-2007 does the following:

• Holds the line on tuition at CUNY and SUNY.
• Restores the governor's TAP cuts.
• Enhances TAP to include funding for eligible part-time students at CUNY, SUNY, and independent colleges.
• Allows students whose family income changes to adjust their TAP grants in the middle of the year.
• Provides an additional $167 million for operating aid and some $700 million for capital projects at SUNY and CUNY.
• Increases funding for the state's community colleges by $175 per FTE (full time equivalent).
• Increases opportunity program funding by 10%.
• Increases funding for full-time faculty at SUNY and CUNY.
• Increases funding for independent colleges through Bundy Aid (Direct Institutional Aid).

top of page | media index | higher education home page | nypirg home