Albany’s Fiscal Irresponsibility Hits College Students
Dear Editor:
Parents and college graduates know all too well about the rising costs associated with paying for a college education. For many perspective college students, state universities are the only affordable option. Fortunately, New York state has a terrific state university system.
SUNY provides an affordable, top-notch education for students of all social-economic backgrounds and provides the state with the human capital it needs to compete in the 21st Century economy. In their efforts to provide a top-of-the-line education for the students they serve, SUNY, at times, is forced to raise tuition to update their facilities and keep and attract the best professors.
Last December, the SUNY board of trustees voted to raise tuition by $310 a semester. Under state law, the Legislature decides how this new revenue will be spent. While no one likes to see an increase in tuition, most students and parents would be less angry over a hike if the money was reinvested in the schools and the education they are paying for.
Unfortunately, New York’s Legislative Leaders, which are all Democrats from New York City, have a different opinion on how this money should be spent. Instead of using the money as an investment for the future of SUNY and the state as a whole, Governor Paterson and the Democrat Majority have decided to use the money to balance their bloated budget.
Under the Deficit Reduction Plan (DRP), 90 percent of tuition increases are swept into the General Fund with SUNY allowed to keep the remaining 10 percent. While the DRP increases TAP awards by $12 million, not all students qualify for this aid. This leaves many New Yorkers paying more for college and, at the same time, receiving a smaller investment in their education.
By sweeping funds away from SUNY and college students, Governor Paterson and the Democrat Majority have reached a new low in protecting Albany’s political culture and, in my opinion, at a great cost to the future prosperity of the state.
Assemblyman Tom O’Mara
Member of the Assembly
137th District
