To the Editor: Gov. Hochul Is Defunding CUNY — Let’s Stop Her.
Words by Amirah Alwagih, Justin Yulo and Mona Alzokri.
Image by Instagram @cunyrising.
To the Editor:
The New Deal for CUNY is our only shot at doing higher education correctly.
CUNY students are demanding increased support for the New Deal for CUNY, which includes funding for TAP and Bundy Aid, better mental health resources, infrastructure support, and increasing full-time faculty-to-student ratio.
Despite Governor Kathy Hochul being the first of many to be receptive to public education funding in many years, her proposed executive budget falls very short of providing support for failing infrastructure, professionalizing adjunct roles, and terminating tuition and fees.
Hochul also proposed tuition hikes, which is outrageous considering the overwhelming financial burden students have to face. This includes but is not limited to, the ever-increasing cost of living, transportation prices, childcare, and the mere fact that students are impacted by outstanding balances and in turn graduate later than expected, delaying their falsely promised debtless degrees.
CUNY is below the national average in terms of the ratio of mental health counselors to students. The national average is 1 to 1,000. CUNYs’ is 1 to 2,700. Many of the undergraduates at CUNY are parents, earn less than $30k a year, work low-wage jobs, face homelessness, poverty, and more. 40% have reported food insecurity. Due to these challenges that a devastating amount of college students face, it is important that they have access to mental health counseling.
As of now, the state budget is being finalized and we have the opportunity to join together and make a conscious effort to push for stronger higher education funding. To do this, call Kathy Hochul’s office and demand a fully funded CUNY in this year’s state budget.
Amirah Alwagih.
City College of New York.
To the Editor:
The purpose of higher education is to enrich the minds of students in the efforts for a better world. It makes sense for these institutions to be considered valuable and accessible due to their societal impact. However, the actions— or rather inaction— of our governing bodies do not consider higher education’s importance. This allows for tuition and the financial cost of college to remain as one of the main roadblocks hindering the academic potential of students.
Financial aid programs exist to support students’ tuition expenses. Unfortunately, many students fall through the cracks, unable to be financially supported through college. Our Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) has a narrow income bracket that still does not support as many students as it needs to. As of 2022, $400 million dollars in funding for the Excelsior Scholarship sat unused while many applicants have not met the requirements or been denied. On top of these flaws with the financial aid system, state and city governments continue to cut funding and raise tuition from CUNY. As a proud CCNY student and NYPIRG project leader for higher education, I have seen the consequences of failing to fund our schools. Our infrastructure is crumbling, student resources lack funding, the teacher-to-student ratio is off balance, etc.
One of the last lines of defense for campuses is the grassroots efforts of advocacy groups like PSC, CUNY Rising Alliance and many more. Through our collective power, we can prevent tuition hikes, advocate for student loan debt forgiveness, and furthermore support the passing of legislation such as New Deal 4 CUNY. Get involved with community advocacy, call your elected officials, and demand their support for New Deal 4 CUNY, attend events and join your fellow students, professors, and faculty. Accessibility to higher education is at stake and we must push back now.
Justin Yulo.
City College of New York.
To the Editor:
Tuition hikes are neither good for students nor universities; many students are discouraged and some are unable to even attend college because of a lack of financial support. It is important to acknowledge that not every student grew up rich or with enough money to fully support themselves throughout college at the age of 18. The City College of New York initially started out as a free institution to support and educate students that could not afford but desired an education, so as to improve the lives of its citizens. Given this information, there is no surprise that current CUNY and SUNY students are against approving Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed tuition hike of up to 3% for CUNY and SUNY institutions. We believe that this proposal violates CUNY’s promise of offering affordable education, and neglects some students’ fundamental right to an education if they cannot afford it.
Most, if not all of CUNY students, already come from low-income families and require financial aid in order to be able to enroll at all. If the tuition is raised, this will decrease the student enrollment rate under the CUNY system, and complicate the well-being of our state economy in the long run. Did you know that in 2019 CUNY graduates working in New York paid an estimated $4.2 billion in State income taxes? Or that the average bachelor’s degree holder contributes $278,000 more to local economies than the average high school graduate through direct spending over the course of a lifetime, and an associate degree holder contributes $81,000 more than a high school graduate? These are real-life accomplishments that affect all of us in the long run. A student’s education cycles back into the real world and improves the lives and wealth of everyone around them and in that environment; it’s an investment!
It saddens me to see some students drop out simply because they do not have enough financial aid. I know two really intelligent and hardworking students that have been denied class registration and enrollment for this semester simply because the school has placed them on hold for not being able to pay a balance that they currently can’t afford. This is not what CUNY was made for or is about. This is harmful to students and society at large in the long run, thus it is more than important that the New York State Legislature prioritizes funding for CUNY schools in the budget to maintain their commitment to offering high-quality education at an affordable price, so that we may all be supported both in the present and in the future.
CUNY plays a key role in educating the next generation of leaders and professionals who will help New York grow and evolve. An investment in CUNY is an investment in the future of our state and country. We at NYPIRG firmly believe that access to affordable education is a right, not a privilege, and we continue to advocate for policies to ensure that all students have the opportunity to pursue higher education without financial barriers. Join our fight by calling your state governor today, asking them to endorse a free and fully funded CUNY!
Mona Alzokri.
City College of New York.
If you want to make sure CUNY receives the funding it needs, join students, faculty, staff, and community allies for a rally to oppose the Mayor's cuts to CUNY on Thursday, May 11th at 12:30 PM at City Hall Park on the Broadway side. You can RSVP using this link:
