Cuomo Proposes More SUNY Tuition Hikes

Five years of SUNY tuition hikes amounting to 30% higher tuition?

That's not enough for Governor Cuomo - more are coming and Cuomo's stealing the money to use for other things:

It’s understandable that listeners might have mistaken Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s enthusiastic pronouncement of a $6.9 billion commitment to the State University of New York and the City University of New York as an increase for SUNY and CUNY. It isn’t. It’s a cut, delivered with all the deceptive enthusiasm of the chocolate ration reduction in George Orwell’s 1984.

Equally disappointing is the governor’s promotion of another “rational tuition plan,” under which students and parents would keep paying more and more while the state pays less.

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This proposal comes as tuition at schools like the University at Albany rose almost 5 percent this year. That’s on top of four prior years of tuition hikes under the “rational tuition plan,” an idea that sounded like a boon for higher education but has come to feel like a bait-and-switch game.

As we’ve pointed out before, the 2011 rational tuition program – under which tuition would increase $300 a year for five years – has increasingly shifted public higher education costs from the state to SUNY students. With state support staying relatively level as tuition steadily rose, the state’s share of SUNY costs has plunged from 59 percent prior to the Great Recession to 36 percent. Students’ now pay nearly two thirds. And, as we’ve noted in the past, it appears that $400 million of the extra tuition money – half of the $800 million more than students are paying – ended up in the state’s coffers.

That’s nothing but a tax hike, targeted just at SUNY students.

Everybody at that speech yesterday should have gotten up and screamed at Cuomo the way Charles Barron did.

Of course, it could be worse for SUNY.

Cuomo cut nearly $250 million from CUNY.

Cuomo's Raised SUNY Tuition 25%+ Over Five Years - But More Increases Are Coming

I'd say this is unbelievable, but it's not:

SUNY WANTS MORE TUITION INCREASES—Capital’s Jessica Bakeman: “SUNY chancellor Nancy Zimpher wants to continue incremental tuition increases after the current plan sunsets in 2016, she told lawmakers during a legislative budget hearing on Tuesday.

Zimpher also asked lawmakers to allocate $50 million a year for the next five years to an investment fund that would support expanding the system’s online education offerings, strengthening the effectiveness of remediation programs and boosting degree completion.” http://bit.ly/17bE4dC

Cuomo says he's concerned about student loan debt and he's issued a plan that would allegedly help NY students pay for some of it for a couple of years.

You know what would be a better plan?

Stop raising SUNY tuition.

Provide more state money for SUNY instead of increasing tuition and fees on students and their families.

The hypocrisy of Andrew Cuomo knows no bounds.

He imposed a plan that raised tuition by more than 25% over five years.

And now if the hack running SUNY gets her way, they'll be even more tuition increases.

Cuomo Raised SUNY Tuition By More Than 25% - Now He Cares About Students With Loan Debt?

From the NY Times:

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will propose legislation to ease the debt burden of thousands of college graduates, an administration official said.

Under the governor’s proposal, to be unveiled in his State of the State address on Wednesday, the state would cover two years of loan payments for graduates of New York State colleges who make less than $50,000 a year, continue to live in the state and are enrolled in the federal Pay as You Earn program, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the proposal has not been released.

Roughly 60 percent of students who graduated from public and nonprofit colleges in New York in 2013 took on debt, and the average amount was $26,381, according to a report by the Institute for College Access and Success. The report did not include graduates from for-profit colleges, who generally accumulate more debt.

The governor’s office projects that up to 7,100 people would benefit in the program’s first year, increasing to 24,000 by 2020, as more students hear about the program and enroll in Pay as You Earn to qualify. The state would pay an average of $3,500 toward each participant’s loans.

Students who finish two- or four-year degree programs in 2015 or later would be eligible for the assistance. Students who do not graduate — who statistically are more likely to be from low-income families — would not be helped.

Sounds fabulous, right?

Cuomo's looking to help students burdened with excessive student loan debt and a tough job market, particularly for newly-minted graduates.

Except if he cares so much about students and loan debt, why did he push to raise SUNY tuition by 40% at the the university centers and 25% at the other SUNY campuses back in 2011?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday proposed increasing tuition by more than 25 percent over five years at most State University of New York campuses and by more than 40 percent at the university centers over the same period — measures he said would help parents with college planning and boost SUNY to top academic levels nationally.

His proposal, in the form of a bill, would add $4,370 over five years to the annual tuition at the university centers in Buffalo, Binghamton, Albany and Stony Brook, and add $2,330 to the tuition at SUNY's other 60 campuses. The governor's bill also would create SUNY's first two-tiered system for tuition.

When students and their families complained about the tax hike plan, Cuomo told them to suck it up and deal with "financial reality."

Ultimately the governor and the legislature settled on this for the hike:

The State University of New York Board of Trustees today approved a policy that will increase tuition $300 a year for the next five years, along with SUNY’s 2011-12 financial plan. Lawmakers gave final passage last Friday to legislation that authorizes SUNY to make the hikes, removing the topic of tuition from the annual state budget process for the next several years. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who agreed on legislation with the Senate and Assembly, has not signed the bill yet.

The increase will take effect this fall. Tuition for in-state undergraduate students at SUNY’s 29 state-operated campuses will increase from $4,970 to $5,270 this fall. Tuition for out-of-state undergraduate students will increase 10 percent a year over the five years.

The tuition hike total came to more than 25% over five years.  In addition, Cuomo refused to increase the percentage of state aid that covers costs at SUNY, so "SUNY students are paying an ever-increasing share of SUNY's costs, shifting the burden of public higher education to them and away from taxpayers."

Cuomo's refusal to do the state's part in covering SUNY costs sets up a need for future tuition and fee increases even after the five year, 25%+ hike is finished.

Now Cuomo releases this plan to help students with student loan burdens even as he has added to that burden by raising SUNY tuition more than 25% over five years and refused to raise the percentage of state aid to SUNY, thus setting up a need for future tuition and fee hikes.

Cuomo thinks people will have forgotten that he raised tuition 25%+ over five years and refused to do the state's share in covering SUNY costs, thus sowing the seeds of future hikes, and hail him as an advocate for students.

He may be right about that, I dunno.

But I'll do my best to remind some of them in my little corner of the blogosphere that while Cuomo's loan plan here is all well and fine, it would have been better if coupled with him coughing up more state aid for SUNY along with limiting the tuition hikes that have been instituted over the past five years.

Andrew Cuomo's Budget Causes SUNY Tuition Increases

From Newsday:

Students at Suffolk County Community College will face a tuition increase of $250 this fall, bringing the annual charges to $4,390 at the two-year school.

The tuition hike is part of the $208.4 million 2014-15 operating budget that college trustees sent to county officials Friday.

The increase comes even though the Bellone administration agreed after two days of talks with college officials to a 2 percent increase in the county share of college costs -- or $780,000. College trustees, in the budget vote Thursday night, also included a one-shot use of $4.3 million from the college's $24.9 million reserve fund to keep tuition from rising further.

"Two hundred and fifty dollars may not sound like much unless you don't have it," said trustee Jim Morgo, head of the trustee budget committee, noting the college's mission is to provide affordable education where many students come from "very challenging economic backgrounds."

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College officials blamed the increased tuition on the state, which increased operating aid for each full-time student by only $75. College presidents had sought $250 and the State Senate had proposed $125. The Assembly, which had sought a $50 increase, compromised with the Senate on $75, to make the per student aid $2,497. In all, the state share is 25.9 percent of college costs.

County aid has remained flat over the past six years with just a 1% increase in aid to SCCC in that time frame, another contributing factor to the cost of SCCC tuition going up next year.

Tax breaks for rich people, tuition hikes for community college students - that should be an Andrew Cuomo campaign ad.

The Assembly and Senate are to blame too.

But this is Cuomo's budget, the one he's bragging about every chance he gets, so the buck and the responsibility for it lie with him.

Andrew Cuomo's Hypocrisy Over SUNY

Governor Cuomo announced the following plan yesterday:

ALBANY -- Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Sunday the state will expand the opportunity for inmates to get college degrees as a way to keep them from returning to prison and save tax dollars.

Cuomo said the state pays $60,000 a year to keep a prisoner incarcerated and 40 percent return to prison. Current college programs in prison cost taxpayers just $5,000 a year per prisoner, he said.

Cuomo made the announcement at the annual meeting of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus in Albany that represents a key constituency for Cuomo, who is running for re-election.

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The administration also doesn't know how much the whole program would cost or how many prisoners could be served, but said the cost will be covered in the 2014-15 state budget due April 1.

"Existing programs show that providing a college education in our prisons is much cheaper for the state and delivers far better results," Cuomo said Sunday."Someone who leaves prison with a college degree has a real shot at a second lease on life because their education gives them the opportunity to get a job and avoid falling back into a cycle of crime," Cuomo said Sunday.

Cuomo said the state will seek to provide college-level education in 10 of its prisons. While the state is seeking competitive bids from private institutions, those from SUNY and CUNY also would be accepted.

Leaving aside that Cuomo is only proposing this program because it is a re-election year and he wants support from the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus in Albany, I think what Cuomo is proposing is a good thing.

I agree that giving someone in a prison an opportunity to earn a college degree may give them employment opportunities they would not have had otherwise and I for one am happy to have my tax money go to such a program - so long as the schools that are involved are SUNY or CUNY schools.

Cuomo says the state will be taking competitive bids from private institutions, but I have a difficult time seeing how private colleges - even so-called "non-profits" - can compete with SUNY or CUNY on tuition:

Tuition for traditional students is $6,910 a year at the State University of New York and $5,800 at the City University of New York.

But Cuomo's education people who came up with this program no doubt have deep ties to some private institutions, so the state says "competitive bids" will be taken from those colleges too.

We'll see if this college program for prisoners doesn't become some Cuomo giveaway program to private colleges (which Cuomo seems to like better than SUNY or CUNY) or, even worse, for-profit "colleges" like Berkeley College or the University of Phoenix.

A close eye needs to be kept on this stuff.

In addition, one other point I want to make about Cuomo's claims that a college education gives an individual opportunities they might not otherwise have - if this is so, why has he raised tuition at SUNY so much during his tenure as governor?

Here was the plan he announced for tuition increases back in 2011:

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, suggesting that what he sees as rock-bottom tuition rates could be holding back the ambitions of the state’s public universities, introduced legislation on Thursday that would sharply increase what students pay to attend the State University of New York.

Mr. Cuomo’s proposal would raise in-state undergraduate tuition, now $4,970, by up to 5 percent annually for the next five years, and by as much as 8 percent annually at SUNY’s research universities in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Stony Brook. The increase would affect 175,000 students on the 29 four-year campuses SUNY operates.

The legislation appealed to university presidents, who have long sought modest, automatic annual increases, rather than having to plead their case every few years for often-sharper tuition increases.

Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, described his proposal as an economic development initiative for the state, arguing that the added revenue would allow campus administrators to bolster research programs.

“The current tuition system does not serve our students, schools or state,” the governor said in a statement. “This bill brings rationality to the SUNY tuition system by allowing students and parents to reasonably plan for college expenses, instead of being subject to dramatic tuition increases and uncertainty.”

Cuomo and previous governors have consistently cut state aid to SUNY over the years, starving the colleges and forcing them to rely more and more on tuition to operate - then when relying on tuition became untenable for the colleges, Cuomo said the "rock-bottom" tuition had ghettoized the SUNY system and "held back the ambitions of the state's public universities," so he was going to allow tuition increases every year for the five consecutive years (never mind that SUNY colleges have consistently raised all kinds of fees over the years to make up for the lack of tuition inreases.)

Cuomo's hypocrisy here - cutting SUNY aid even as he claims the lack of tuition increases has hurt SUNY colleges - is par for the course from this hypocritical governor - this year he once again held back state aid from the SUNY system, thus setting up the need for future tuition increases that will be borne by the state system's students.

Couple that with the new college program for prisoners that may see state money head the way of private institutions and what we have here is a governor of the State of New York who is doing his very best to harm the State University of New York, starve the colleges for funds and force higher and higher tuition increases on students.

I know that my students who attend SUNY's all have to take on debt to do so - as much as $8,000 a year -  and these are students who are eligible for full Pell grants and TAP.

After four years at that borrowing rate, they are going to graduate with at least $35,000 in debt (taking into consideration additional tuition and fee hikes and interest on unsubsidized loans.)

It seems if New York students want an affordable college education in Andrew Cuomo's New York State, they have to go to prison to get it.

Making SUNY And CUNY Tuition Free

From State of Politics:

Assemblyman James Skoufis is sponsoring legislation to give students free tuition to SUNY and CUNY schools if they agree to certain requirements. Participants would have to do 250 hours of community service each year, and then after graduation they’d need to stay in the state for at least five years. The goal is to help make college more affordable and assist non-profits around the state.

Pell grants and TAP do not come close to covering tuition, room and board at SUNY anymore.

Pell Grants and TAP still do cover CUNY costs if a student is eligible for them.

Still, I have seen way too many students have to take out $5000+ a year in loans lately to go to a SUNY school.

It would be great if there was some kind of program that gave students the opportunity to attend a SUNY school without having to go $20,000+ into debt to do it.

I have my doubts that Sheriff Andy Como would want this to happen - he likes to pass on the costs of tax cuts for rich people to working class and middle class college kids and their families.

But good to see this legislation introduced.

Cuomo's New York - Full Of SUNY Debt Slaves

Here it is:



And of course Cuomo is making sure that tuition goes up every year, for the next five years, so that his bankster buddies can make even more money off the kids:

Students at state colleges and universities will see their tuition go up over the next five years, after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed historic legislation Tuesday.

The new law allows State University of New York campuses to raise tuition $300 a year for five years.

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Over five years, SUNY tuition will rise from its present $4,970 annual charge to $6,470 for in-state, undergraduate students.

It will be even more at SUNY’s four research centers—University at Buffalo, Albany, Binghamton and Stony Brook—which will be able to implement a rational “plus” tuition plan. That includes charging an additional $75 fee and raising tuition for out-of-state students up to 10 percent.

The new revenue is good news for campuses that faced steep budget cuts the past few years.

Uh, huh - some of those budget cuts were made so that Cuomo could cut the millionaire's tax.

Because Cuomo's hedge fund buddies pay too much in tax.

Better that middle and working class kids go $75,000 in debt for a SUNY degree that sees them working at Starbucks than raise taxes on Rupert Murdoch.

FULL STORY HERE.

Protests Come To CUNY

It's good to see students at CUNY beginning to rise up against their corporate overlords:

A daylong rally by City University of New York students against a planned tuition increase turned turbulent Monday evening when marchers ignored police requests to clear the lobby of a building where the university’s trustees were meeting and 15 people were arrested.

The students were pushed to the ground and taken away in handcuffs from the lobby of Baruch College, in Manhattan, while protesting a planned tuition increase for the 2012-13 academic year, on which the trustees are to vote next Monday.

Carlos Pazmino, 21, a City College student who helped organize the protest, said that after students began opening lobby doors to the building where the CUNY trustees were holding a public hearing on the 14th floor, CUNY public safety officers surrounded the entrances and pushed back, using their batons. He said that when students formed a line to push past, the officers began hitting the students with the batons.

“I saw two people knocked down by cops,” Mr. Pazmino said. “They were arrested, and one guy’s head was bleeding.”

During the fighting, students on higher floors dropped books down on the police, and captured the scuffle on video. A crowd of 200 to 300 protesters outside beat on the lobby’s windows, also shouting, “Shame.”

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The protest began with a handful of organizers who marched through the cafeteria at City College at lunchtime. The group is demanding the repeal of the tuition increase approved in the summer by the city and the state: $300 a year for five years.

Later in the afternoon, the protest moved to Madison Square Park, where CUNY students from other colleges had agreed to meet. The growing crowd then marched on to Baruch College, at Lexington Avenue and 24th Street.

At Baruch, the campus police restricted access to the hearing to those who had registered, and set up barricades around the building, the William and Anita Newman Vertical Campus Conference Center, in whose lobby the confrontation occurred. At one point, the police told those who had pushed into the lobby, and refused to leave, that they would be arrested for trespassing. The students then sat down, and were pushed to a wall by the campus police.

“We have made it clear to the university that violent response to students who are protesting nonviolently is not acceptable,” said Barbara Bowen, the president of the faculty union, the CUNY Professional Staff Congress, who was in the meeting while the students were being arrested.

At the afternoon protest at Madison Square Park, protesters chanted, “Banks got bailed out, students got sold out.”

A small group of New York University and New School students joined the rally to support CUNY students, apparently part of an unrelated campaign by Occupy Wall Street organizers called Occupy Student Debt. Andrew Ross, an N.Y.U. professor affiliated with that group, said it was aiming to get one million students to pledge that they would not pay back their loans.

But Denise Romero, 19, a junior at Baruch and one of the organizers of Monday’s protest, insisted that the CUNY protest was independent of Occupy Wall Street. “We support them and they support us, but we are not affiliated,” she said.

She added that CUNY students were protesting not only tuition increases but also the university’s push for a public-private partnership. CUNY received $1.4 billion in private philanthropy this year, according to a university spokesman.

“We want more student representation,” said Ms. Romero, who had registered to speak at the hearing Monday.

Cuomo and Bloomberg think they can push sharp increases in fees and tuition and sharp decreases in financial aid onto SUNY and CUNY students and they will meekly take it.

So far, students and their families mostly have.

But we're starting to see some action on that front and occupying every one of these meetings where the political shills do their dirty work for their corporate masters is an important first step.

Publicly connecting Cuomo and Bloomberg to these tuition and fee increases and aid decreases is the next one.

Tax cuts for millionaire's, tuition increases for everybody else...

POSTSCRIPT: A group calling itself SAVE OUR SUNY was joined by members of Occupy Albany to protest budget cuts and tuition hikes at SUNY up in Albany.

It's good to see the ball rolling on this.