Senator Stavisky's Response to Gov. Cuomo's Free CUNY/SUNY Plan

Flushing, NY—Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing), ranking member of the Higher Education Committee issued a statement in response to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s press conference with U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and former Comptroller Bill Thompson. The senator sponsored a similar bill in 2016 – S4760B – which would have provided free tuition for New York State residents to SUNY, CUNY and community college (LINK: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2015/S4760/amendment/B). The senator plans to re-introduce the bill for the 2017 session.

“In today’s world, college has become not a privilege, but a necessary step for working individuals of all fields,” State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said. “Unfortunately, college comes with a price tag that few can afford without burdensome loans. The proposal presented by Governor Cuomo and supported by Senator Bernie Sanders is an important step toward equal access to higher education. While families who make less than $125,000 will be able to send their children to SUNY and CUNY schools for free, we must also ensure no hikes are implemented on students who are paying tuition to off-set costs. Last year, we were able to secure a tuition freeze for public college and university students – a trend I would like to see continue. I congratulate and thank the governor for his commitment to higher education and I look forward to working with him to better our state’s higher education system.”