The governor\u2019s budget is based on a huge promise \u2013 that he will keep the budget growth to less than 2%.\u00a0 The governor presents this number as a simple feat, keep to the rate of inflation and he can use some of the revenues for a tax cut.<\/p>\n
Of course, the governor\u2019s tax cut \u2013 trumpeted as $2 billion \u2013 is more rhetoric than reality.\u00a0 He promises to cut taxes, but in the fine print the amount of that cut hinges on the governor\u2019s prediction that the state can keep spending under 2% growth and that the federal government will shift billions of dollars in Medicaid savings to New York.<\/p>\n
But even if the governor is right on both of those predictions, keeping spending under 2% means cuts to important programs.\u00a0 Last week, the Legislature heard the details of the governor\u2019s higher education proposal.\u00a0 In a word, cuts.<\/p>\n
Over the years, New York has shifted the costs of public college to students and their families. One key way that shift occurred was through the state\u2019s “SUNY 2020” plan.\u00a0 That plan, among other items, increased tuition at a so-called “rational” or predictable rate.\u00a0 As part of that deal, the state promised to maintain its financial commitment to New York\u2019s public colleges and universities.\u00a0 The plan raised public college tuition at SUNY and CUNY by $300 each year for five years. Cumulatively, tuition at SUNY is expected go up more than 40 percent and CUNY tuition will jump nearly 60 percent by the 2015-2016 academic year.<\/p>\n
In this year\u2019s budget, those shifts in paying for public college could be continuing.\u00a0 The governor proposes cuts of $1 million to CUNY and $2 million to SUNY.\u00a0 Despite the pledge to maintain support for both SUNY and CUNY as part of the so-called rational tuition plan, the governor\u2019s budget proposal cuts state aid.<\/p>\n
If the state doesn\u2019t follow through on its commitment to maintain support, it won\u2019t be the first time something like this happened.\u00a0 For decades, state law mandated that the government cover 40% of the costs of community colleges.\u00a0 Yet, in each year\u2019s budget, the state changes that law and pays less than that 40%.\u00a0 Students and their families are typically called on to make up the difference.<\/p>\n
In addition, the governor in this year\u2019s budget cuts other financial aid programs that benefit lower income students.\u00a0 \u00a0The governor\u2019s budget cuts financial aid and services for these students by roughly $3.5 million to critical programs, which jeopardizes the role these programs play in college access and success.<\/p>\n
Given the importance of a college education in our advanced society, cuts like these are a steep price to pay for the governor\u2019s tax cuts.<\/p>\n
Hopefully, the legislature will reject the changes proposed by the governor.\u00a0 Instead, the state\u2019s final budget should not only restore the governor\u2019s cuts, but expand college opportunities.<\/p>\n
Left out of the governor\u2019s budget proposal is a measure designed to help immigrants who are going to college.<\/p>\n
The states of Texas, New Mexico, and California have passed legislation that grants undocumented students access to public resources to attend college, similar to New York\u2019s education opportunity programs for low income students and its Tuition Assistance Program.<\/p>\n
New York has long recognized the importance of supporting New York\u2019s immigrant students, including funding programs to support English Language Learners and college readiness programs. In 2001, a new law granted New York\u2019s undocumented students in-state tuition rate.<\/p>\n
The logical next step is to grant these students access to financial aid.\u00a0 After all, these undocumented students came here as children.\u00a0 Investing in these students will help them to succeed, thus helping them as well as the state.<\/p>\n
The governor\u2019s plan undermines the access that some students can have to a higher education.\u00a0 Hopefully, lawmakers will understand that investments now will pay off \u2013 enhancing both the state\u2019s finances and its civic life as well.<\/p>\n
If they do, the governor\u2019s plan will be rejected and additional measures to expand access will be adopted.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s all for now.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be keeping an eye on the Capitol and will talk to you again next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The governor\u2019s budget is based on a huge promise \u2013 that he will keep the budget growth to less than 2%.\u00a0 The governor presents this number as a simple feat, keep to the rate of inflation and he can use some of the revenues for a tax cut. Of course, the governor\u2019s tax cut \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[61,54,63,60],"class_list":["post-934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-cuny","tag-higher-education","tag-immigrants","tag-suny"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nypirg.org\/capitolperspective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nypirg.org\/capitolperspective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nypirg.org\/capitolperspective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nypirg.org\/capitolperspective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nypirg.org\/capitolperspective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=934"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.nypirg.org\/capitolperspective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1482,"href":"https:\/\/www.nypirg.org\/capitolperspective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934\/revisions\/1482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nypirg.org\/capitolperspective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nypirg.org\/capitolperspective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nypirg.org\/capitolperspective\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}