CUNY schools are said to be some of the most affordable schools there are for undergraduate and graduate education, but is that really the case? According to Student Debt Relief, the national average for undergraduates during the 2017-2018 school year was $9,970 for in-state residents at public universities, and $25,620 for out-of-state residents at four-year institutions. For four year private schools, the average is $34,740. Either way, more people are graduating with debt than ever. According to CNBC and the College Board, “the average cumulative student debt balance in 2017 was $26,900 for graduates of public four-year schools and $32,600 for graduates of private nonprofit four-year schools.” CUNY’s website lists…
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State budget keeps funding for CUNY
CUNY will face no significant cuts in the new state budget agreed before the April 1 deadline. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced CUNY would receive over $1.6 billion in the $147.2 billion budget deal agreed by state lawmakers. This is in contrast to comments made earlier in the year by the Democratic governor on CUNY. He intended to cut state funding to CUNY by $485 million and make New York City’s government pay for it. This figure is equal to one-third of revenue for all senior colleges. Late last month the Cuomo administration, under pressure from CUNY and activist groups, sought to not pursue the cut. James Skoufis, a Democrat representing…
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A victory for now
For the past three months, CUNY was in a state of crisis. Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed in his Executive Budget to cut $485 million and make the city pay for it instead. This is equal to nearly one-third of funding for all senior colleges. Officials at CUNY scrambled to mobilize students and urge state lawmakers to reconsider this cut or, as the Cuomo administration prefers, shift. The Professional Staff Congress, which represents 25,000 professors and staff, organized rallies and even held a die-in in front of Cuomo’s New York City office. Forty-one people were arrested at this protest, but their message was understood—don’t let CUNY die. Cuomo, under pressure, reversed…
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QC’s budget shortfall reflects larger funding issues
Queens College President Felix Matos Rodriguez, in his March Saludos address over email, said the college faced a budget shortfall of nearly $1 million. “As we did at the start of the Fall 2015 semester, we have made cuts in operating budgets, slowed the pace of hiring, left some vacancies open, stepped up our efforts to increase other revenue and used soft funds to cover budget gaps,” Rodriguez wrote in the email. The shortfall was because the college did not meet its revenue goals for spring and retroactive pay for skilled trade employees at CUNY after 2008. At the same time, enrollment is increasing at QC. Moreover, Governor Andrew Cuomo…
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Student groups demand lawmakers make college affordable
Last week the New York Public Interest Group unveiled a coalition of over 350 student groups and organizations calling on the New York State Legislature and the Governor to increase state aid to the City University of New York and the State University of New York, reject an extension of the “rational tuition” hikes, and freeze tuition at the current 2015-2016 academic year rates. Nearly 40 clubs signed onto the letter at Queens College, including the QC Dream Team, the Hakuna Matata Club and the Caribbean Association to name a few. Since the SUNY 2020 legislation was signed into law in 2011, the state’s so-called “rational tuition” policy has caused tuition at public colleges to skyrocket – increasing…
