New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has unveiled a proposal to offer free tuition for lower-income New Yorkers attending state-run colleges, an idea embraced by last year’s Democratic presidential contenders.
The plan announced Tuesday – called the Excelsior Scholarship – would grant full-rides to students from families earning less than $125,000 a year, as long as they attend one of the state’s public two- or four-year colleges.
Speaking at LaGuardia Community College in New York’s Queens borough, the Democratic governor said his proposal could allow students from some 940,000 families to attend college, which is key to scoring about 70 percent of jobs in the state, Reuters quotes Cuomo as saying.
“College is a mandatory step if you really want to be a success,” Cuomo told the crowd.
Joining the governor, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders cheered the proposal.
“The Democrats and Republicans and independents understand that technology has changed, the global economy has changed,” the news service quotes Sanders as saying.
Sanders had offered a similar nationwide proposal while vying for the Democratic presidential nomination last year. While he lost to Hillary Clinton, his proposal resonated enough to find a place on the Democrats’ national platform.
Cuomo’s proposal, which would apply only to New York residents, would cost about $163 million annually and be in place by 2019 – that’s if it passes the state’s legislature, The New York Times reports.
“Mr. Cuomo hopes for a quick start for his idea, with a three-year rollout beginning in the fall, though it will require legislative approval, a potential snag when the governor and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been at odds over a pay raise and other issues,” the Times says.
As it stands currently, tuition at the public State University system is $6,470 a year; a two-year degree runs at about $4,350.
The price-tag at the state’s other public system, City University, runs roughly the same.
While New York has need-based tuition awards, those tap out at $5,165 per school year.
People from across the country are looking for ways to help families of the 10 people killed at a King Soopers in Boulder on March 22.
We've compiled a list of area groups that are collecting contributions in the aftermath of the shooting.
In July, we published this statement in recognition of the work we needed to begin at CPR to confront issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in our newsroom and organization as a whole.
We know this work is urgent, and we are dedicated to doing it thoroughly and connecting it with our vision and mission to reach all and serve everyone in Colorado.
Here is an update on our progress over the last eight months.
It takes a good day’s drive to cover Colorado, but we’ll help you do it in a few minutes each morning. The Lookout daily email brings you a closer look at the issues that affect you with a rundown of important fact-based reporting — with a side of Colorado flavor.