Students oppose proposed tuition hikes

At a rally opposing Governor George Pataki’s projected tuition hikes as set forth by his higher education budget, students at Queens College embarked on a campaign last week to urge him to withdraw his proposals.
“We’re sending back this budget because proposals to raise tuition are harmful to students and should be opposed,” said Jessica Vazcones, an intern at the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) at Queens College.
In the $110.7 billion Executive Budget, Pataki calls for tuition increases of $500 for State University (SUNY) students and $300 for City University (CUNY) attendees. He also set forth the implementation of automatic annual tuition hikes at both institutions, and the restructuring of the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).
But the budget also calls for additional capital investments at SUNY and CUNY totaling $125 million ($90 million for SUNY and $35 million for CUNY) to support critical infrastructure and facility projects. It appropriates $4 billion for SUNY and $2 billion for CUNY to continue multi-year capital plans.
“The Executive Budget would … provide record aid to New York’s schools,” said Pataki in his address. “[It] reaffirms New York’s commitment to excellence in higher education, with additional funding provided to support the operations of our public colleges and targeted initiatives that strengthen academic programs and promote economic development.”
In response to Pataki’s proposals, students want the governor to rescind his budget during the 30-day amendment period.
“The governor will get our stamp of approval if he uses his 30-day amendment period to make a different recommendation that doesn’t rely on fiscal gimmicks that borrow from students to fund public higher education,” said Vascones.