New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed to make tuition fees free for the students at the City University of New York (CUNY) and State University of New York (SUNY). The tuition fee costs around $6,400 annually.
According to the proposal, Cuomo wants tuition fees to be free at CUNY and SUNY community colleges for two years and four years in CUNY bachelor's programs. However, it will be limited to low and middle-income families, which are earning $125,000 annually or lesser, New York Daily News reported.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the plan, once approved, will provide additional scholarship programs in order to accommodate around 940,000 New York households with college-age children who will qualify in the planned assistance. The program will be costing the government around $163 million per year once the program has unfolded.
The plans on how the proposal will be funded have not been explained yet. However, Cuomo made it clear that the goal of the program was to provide a better path for middle-class students to graduate without the burden of having to pay debts.
Cuomo announced his plan at LaGuardia Community College in Queens, New York. Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was at the event.
Sanders pushed for free college during his campaign for his presidential bid. Sanders believes that the plan of Cuomo will materialize soon and is optimistic about other states following the program. At least nine other states have passed the same program but are still under consideration.
If the program will really be available, 64 SUNY campuses and 20 CUNY schools would have to ensure sufficient capacity in all classes at a higher cost. It is projected that an additional 10 percent admission increase will take place if the project will be available so sufficient classroom resources should also meet the demand.
