Larkin Announces Higher Education Funding In Final State Budget

Senator Bill Larkin (R-C, Cornwall-on-Hudson) today announced funding for higher education under the final state budget passed today by the full Legislature.

"New York’s outstanding colleges and universities are among the finest in the world," said Senator Larkin. "This budget ensures that the state will continue to make a world-class education affordable and accessible to all New Yorkers."

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2006-07 HIGHER EDUCATION PLAN:

> Tuition Assistance Program -- Restores $83.65 million, and creates a part-time TAP program to help more people, such as people working and going to school, achieve the goal of a higher education.

> SUNY/CUNY -- Provides $768 million for capital projects and increases operating aid at SUNY by $44.6 million and CUNY by $15 million to enable them to hire an additional 300 faculty members and advance other programmatic initiatives. The budget also increases Community College Base Aid above the Executive’s proposal by $75 per full-time student at SUNY and CUNY Community Colleges and rejects the proposal to increase tuition by $500 at SUNY Colleges and $300 at CUNY Colleges by providing $93,985,000 in additional operating aid and support.

Other highlights of the 2006-07 higher education budget include:

> Provides $4 million for the Arts Exhibitions Revolving Loan Fund and Digitization Institute;

> Provides a 10% increase in funding for EOP, HEOP, SEEK, Discovery, and Liberty Partnerships Programs;

> Increases Bundy Aid for private school students by $2.9 million;

> Provides $2.07 million in added funding for Regents Professional Opportunity and Regents Health Care Opportunity Scholarships; and

> Provides $1.8 million in added funding for the Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship and Nursing Faculty Loan Forgiveness Incentive Program.

The Legislature’s budget rejects proposals by the Executive that would:

> Increase full-time status from 12 to 15 credits;

> Deny TAP eligibility as a result of federal student loan defaults;

> Increase academic progress or good standing requirements;

> Require full-time attendance for students receiving TAP; and

> Require schools to pre-finance TAP for students without a diploma/GED