HomeNEWSCollege Dodges a Bullet with "Tuition Cap" Rejection

College Dodges a Bullet with “Tuition Cap” Rejection

By JONAS MILLER
Co-Executive Editor

The New York State Senate and Assembly majorities have rejected a proposed “tuition cap” for private and independent colleges. The provision that would punish independent, private, for-profit, and not-for-profit colleges if they raised their tuition prices was introduced by Governor Andrew Cuomo as a part of his Excelsior Scholarship initiative.

The proposed scholarship would grant free tuition to students who attend public institutions so long as their total annual family income falls below $125,000. The rejection, announced on Friday morning, is a gigantic win for private and independent colleges across the state.

Institutions like the College of Saint Rose are already at risk of losing thousands of students to public schools if the Governor’s budget passes as-is. If a tuition cap were imposed on top of the free tuition initiative, the consequences would have been catastrophic.

The now-nixed “ceiling” would cut state-aid funding from private and independent colleges if they fail to keep tuition increases under $500 or the Higher Education Price Index, whichever figure is greater. Schools who failed to comply would lose TAP funding, severely hindering some student’s ability to afford going to pricier private institutions.

TAP, or the Tuition Assistance Program, is a grant that many students use to assist in the cost of higher education. Because it comes in the form of a grant, it does not need to be paid back, allowing for cost-effective assistance for students in need.

The President of the College, Carolyn J. Stefano, has been one of many voices in the private realm to suggest expanding the TAP program as an alternative to the proposed Excelsior Scholarship.

“We are pleased that the New York State assembly and Senate majorities have rejected the tuition increase cap that threatened financial penalties for students who could least afford them if their New York College of university raised tuition beyond a pre-set limit,” Stefanco said in an email sent to the Chronicle on Friday.

Last year, the College awarded more than $34 million in institutional aid, according to Stefanco. Approximately 99 pecent of first-year students at Saint Rose receive financial aid.

“Fundamentally, the Governor, the Legislature, and public and private colleges and universities all share the same goal: to help more students enroll in New York’s higher education institutions and graduate with less debt,” Stefanco said. “The solution needs to be comprehensive and student focused, not institution-focused.”

Governor Cuomo has countered voices calling for expanded TAP by saying private and independent colleges would not be harmed by his proposed plan given that the capacity of state institutions would not change.

Stefanco, accompanied by other higher education leaders across the state, say students should be able to make an unhindered decision on where they want to go to school. They should not be bogged down mentally by the idea of a certain institution’s price tag.

“New York should make any new college tuition support available to eligible students, and then allow students and families to choose the type of college experience that is best for them,” Stefanco said. “We have an opportunity to make New York a leader in college affordability and accessibility if we can agree on and adopt a more inclusive, more comprehensive approach.”

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