ALBANY —
New York's public college students and their families won't see a tuition increase or a cut in the state's financial aid program next semester under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget proposal, but they may still feel a lot of pain.
His proposed cuts to campus aid even have a student association calling for a tuition increase.
In Tuesday's budget proposal to the Legislature, Cuomo said he was pleased to announce he isn't proposing a tuition increase for the State University of New York or City University of New York. SUNY and CUNY tuition is lower than in most public systems to make it available for more New Yorkers.
The SUNY and CUNY cuts are in line with the 10 percent cuts Cuomo called for in his executive branch and deeper than in some other areas such as for elementary and secondary public schools.
Cuomo also chose not to cut the state Tuition Assistance Program, critical for hundreds of thousands of poor and middle class students in public and private colleges, in a budget that had to address a projected $10 billion deficit. Cuomo did, however, continue a policy begun last year that no longer assures the poorest students full funding of their tuition.
His budget proposal in the face of a $10 billion deficit contains a 10 percent cut to the public universities, after SUNY and CUNY were dealt state aid cutbacks totaling as much as 30 percent over the last three years. If enacted by the Legislature, SUNY would lose $115.4 million and the smaller CUNY would lose $70.1 million.
"We understand the seriousness of New York's financial crisis," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher. "However, we remain deeply concerned about our mounting fiscal challenges and how they will impact our ability to provide a quality experience and education to our students."
CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein said the system will work with the governor and Legislature to ease the cuts at a time of a record number of students in need of education "in an unforgiving economy."
Cuomo, however, proposes legislation that could give the systems greater flexibility in purchasing to save money and provide SUNY with the power to enter into enterprises with private companies, which CUNY already has.
In addition, the budget cuts $135 million by eliminating the subsidy for SUNY's three teaching hospitals in Brooklyn, Stony Brook and Syracuse that care for 1 million patients a year.
State aid to community colleges would also be cut 10 percent.
The private college that also receive a 10 percent cut in aid they receive from the state called Bundy Aid.
The latest proposed cuts in state operating aid has even a student association calling for a tuition increase to bolster the campuses.
"Keeping tuition at the current level is simply not sustainable and does not support access and affordability in the long term," said Kyle J. Hill of the Student Assembly of SUNY.
"We understand that the governor is concerned about pricing students out by raising tuition but that won't even be an issue if their program can't be found in the SUNY system," Hill said.
"Without question," said Phillip H. Smith, president of the United University Professions union, "New York's 60-year commitment to public higher education is being broken."
The Association of Proprietary Colleges said preserving TAP is an investment in New York's economic recovery by keeping more students in their for-profit schools that often provide degrees and training in business and other careers.
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