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NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release:
 January
29, 2003 |
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THE FACTS ON GOVERNOR PATAKI'S 2003-04 HIGHER
EDUCATION BUDGET PROPOSAL
A $1,200 tuition increase
for New York's public colleges.
• Assuming a $1,200 increase, this would render CUNY tuition $4,400
and SUNY tuition $4,600.
•US
Department of Education ranks New York's four-year public colleges as
the 15th most expensive in the nation (1).
•The
proposed level of SUNY tuition combined with fees, averaging $990 per
student (2), will bring the average yearly price (excluding financial
aid) up to $5,590 to attend a four-year SUNY college.
•A
tuition increase of $1,200 at both SUNY and CUNY could raise an estimated
additional $339,157,200.(3)
Proposed
restructuring of the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), reducing individual
TAP grants by 1/3.
•Governor
proposes allotting $568 million to fund TAP
•In
the 2001-02 academic year, TAP provided $675 million in grants to more
than 350,000 students.
An $82
million (12%) cut to CUNY; an $184 million (15%) cut to SUNY operating
budgets and a reduction of $345 per full time equivalent (15%) for community
colleges:
•Community
colleges are currently funded at $2,300/FTE, the Governor's proposal
reduces funding to $1,955/FTE. The proposed reduction in state aid could
save an estimated $65,402,409. (4)
•New
York ranks 44th in the nation in terms of appropriations of state tax
funds for operating expenses of higher education over the past 10 years.
(5)
•Inadequate
state funding has led individual SUNY institutions to raise student
fees. 1995-2002 fees at a cross-section of 24 four-year SUNY institutions
have increased 128%; $79.33 per year. Students currently pay, on average,
$990.67 in fees on top of tuition. (6)
•In
the face of flat or reduced operating budgets colleges may be forced
to cut back on services, faculty lines and enrollment. (7)
A $26,885,000
(50%) cut to opportunity programs such as EOP, HEOP, SEEK, and College
Discovery.
•The
proposal eliminates funding for STEP and CSTEP saving $10 million.
An $18,700,000
cut to Direct Institutional Aid (Bundy Aid) for private colleges.
-30-
1 U.S. Department of Education, Digest of Education Statistics, 2002;
rankings reflect 2001-02 academic year
2 NYPIRG Analysis of "Real Tuition" Costs at SUNY: 1995-2002,
www.nypirg.org/higher_ed/feereport.html
3 Proposed tuition increase multiplied by 2002 total full time equivalent
enrollment for all SUNY/CUNY four-year campuses. Based on preliminary
2002 enrollment data provided by New York State Department of Education.
4 Difference of current funding per FTE and proposed funding per FTE
multiplied by 2002 total full time equivalent enrollment for all SUNY/CUNY
community colleges. Based on preliminary 2002 enrollment data provided
by New York State Department of Education.
5 Grapevine, Illinois State University, www.coe.ilstu.edu/grapevine/50state.htm
6 NYPIRG Analysis of "Real Tuition" Costs at SUNY: 1995-2002,
www.nypirg.org/higher_ed/feereport.html
7 Letter addressed to "The College Community", SUNY Geneseo
College President, Christopher C. Dahl, "2002-03 Budget Message",
October 7, 2002
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