MANY ARE
APPLAUDING NEW YORK FOR BEING
THE FIRST STATE THAT HAS CREATED A FREE TUITION PROGRAM FOR ITS
STATE COLLEGES.
THIS WOULDN'T ONLY AFFECT COMMUNITY COLLEGE,
IT
WOULD ALSO HAVE AN IMPACT ON
FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS.
ANDREW CUOMO HAS BEEN APPLAUDED BY A
LOT OF PEOPLE, HOWEVER YOU NEED TO TAKE MORE OF A LOOK INTO WHAT
THEY REFERRED TO AS THE
EXCELSIOR SCHOLARSHIP.
STRANGE NAME.
TO SEE THAT THERE
ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT ISSUES AND IT COULD END UP BEING FAR WORSE
FOR POOR STUDENTS IN THE STATE.
LET ME GIVE YOU DETAILS.
IS EXPECTED TO CUT THE COST OF A
DEGREE FROM A FOUR-YEAR ñ NOT A
LOT OF STUDENTS ACTUALLY FINISH
IN TWO TO FOUR YEARS.
THERE ARE PROBLEMS BECAUSE BEFORE THIS
PAST ANDREW CUOMO HAD TO NEGOTIATE WITH LAWMAKERS, MANY
OF WHICH ARE REPUBLICAN.
THERE WERE A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS THAT
WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS POLICY UNTIL REPUBLICANS GOT INVOLVED.
NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN THESE
REQUIREMENTS ARE WRITTEN INTO THE LAW.
IT WILL HELP PEOPLE.
I
THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT TUITION IS ON SOME POLITICIANS
RADAR.
HOWEVER THIS HAS MANY
HOLES AND FLAWS, IT COULD END UP BEING WORSE FOR STUDENTS.
ALSO
IF YOU DO GO TO ONE OF THESE COLLEGES, YOU MUST STAY IN THE
STATE FOR AS MANY YEARS AFTER YOU GRADUATE IF YOU TOOK
ADVANTAGE OF THAT PROGRAM.
THE IDEA IS THE STATE IS INVESTING
IN YOU, AND THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE INVESTING IN THE
STATE.
BUT THAT CAN HAVE A
NEGATIVE IMPACT ON MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO GET AN
EDUCATION AND SOMETHING THAT HAS A BIG MARKET IN A DIFFERENT
STATE.
FOR INSTANCE, YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO LEAVE FOR UP TO FOUR
YEARS AS A RESULT.
THESE ARE ALL
THE FLAWS.
>>THIS LOOKS LIKE IT PUTS MORE ñ IT SEEMS LIKE AN UNEMPLOYED
PERSON WHO CANNOT FIND WORK IN STATE IS VALUED ABOVE SOMEONE
WHO WOULD GO FIND A JOB MAY BE
IN NEW JERSEY OR CONNECTICUT.
LIKE YOU SAID IT DOES SEEM TO BE
OVERPLAYED HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR MAKING COLLEGE MORE
ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS A LAST DOLLAR PROGRAM.
AND IT
ONLY APPLIES TO THESE PEOPLE
UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE COLLEGE FOR ALL BUT
THIS ISN'T REALLY IT.
>>IT IS HARD FOR ME TO GET UPSET AT A PROGRAM THAT ESSENTIALLY IS
A LOWERING OF THE BURDEN FOR ANYONE.
THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE A LOWER FINANCIAL BURDEN
FOR ATTENDING SCHOOLS.
I DON'T WANT TO SEEM LIKE I'M
COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
THE FACT THAT IT GOT THROUGH
GOVERNMENT ñ IN THIS SITUATION WE DO HAVE A LAW PASSED.
I
UNDERSTAND FULLY.
ON ONE HAND I
WANT TO SAY THERE IS WORSE STATES TO BE STUCK IN.
BUT THERE
ARE CHEAPER STATES TO BE STUCK
IN.
WHY IS THE COST OF EDUCATION SO HIGH IN THE FIRST PLACE?
>> BAND-AIDS FOR A HUGE PROBLEM IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO GO ABOUT
THIS.
I GET WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM.
I AM TIRED OF SETTLING IN
MY TAXPAYER MONEY GOING TOWARD PRIVATE CONTRACTORS AND WEAPONS
MANUFACTURERS FOR WARS AS OPPOSED TO HELPING CREATE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PEOPLE.
I WANT FREE TUITION AT PUBLIC
INSTITUTIONS.
I DON'T WANT ALL OF THESE RIDICULOUS CAVEATS TO
STAY IN THE STATE.
GUESS WHAT?
THIS IS NEW YORK, MOST PEOPLE
PROBABLY MAKE MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED TO
SURVIVE IN NEW YORK.
EVEN SO, THIS ASSUMPTION THAT IF YOUR
PARENTS ARE MAKING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY WILL HELP
YOU.
THAT IS NOT TRUE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PARENTS THAT HAVE NO
INTEREST IN HELPING THEIR KIDS PAY FOR COLLEGE.
A LOT OF KIDS
ARE OUT THERE ON THEIR OWN
TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
THAT IS WHY THEY HAVE TO WORK.
IF YOU
ARE SAYING ONE OF THE STANDARDS
OR QUALIFICATIONS IS THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE A FULL-TIME LOAD OF
CLASSES OR YOU DON'T QUALIFY, THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THE POOR
STUDENTS WHO ARE SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED
AND HAVE TO WORK TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES?
>> RIGHT, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT PAYING FOR THEIR COST OF LIVING.
SO THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE THOSE ENDS
MEET WHICH WILL INVOLVE WORKING.
I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A LEVEL OF
WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I JUST THINK ANOTHER LIMITATION ON
NEW YORK, IT SEEMS LIKE IT MAKES MORE SENSE ON A FEDERAL LEVEL.
>> THERE IS NO WAY THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
THE IMPETUS NOW IS ON STATES.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT SOME STATES
DO HAVE A SIMILAR PROGRAM.
>> I THINK ONE OF MY FEARS IS THAT ñ ANDREW CUOMO WORKED WITH
REPUBLICANS AND THEY SIGNED ON TO THE START OF COURSE
REPUBLICANS HAVE NO INTEREST IN
HELPING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
IT IS INTERESTING THIS WAS A VERY
LIBERAL POLICY UNTIL REPUBLICANS
GET INVOLVED.
BUT THEY WANT THIS TO BE THE MODEL ON A NATIONAL
LEVEL.
I WANT PEOPLE TO BE FOR THEM TO THINKING THIS IS GOOD
ENOUGH AND WE SHOULD SETTLE.
THIS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH, NOT
EVEN CLOSE.
IT STILL SHIFTS A LOT OF THE ECONOMIC BURDEN ONTO
THE STUDENTS.
THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE WHEN WE HAVE STATE
INSTITUTIONS THAT OUR TAXPAYER MONEY GOES TO.
I WANT TO ADDRESS
THE FACT THAT TUITION IS RIDICULOUSLY HIGH RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE COLLEGE IS CONTINUOUSLY COMPETING WITH ANOTHER TO BUILD
NICER BUILDINGS.
IT IS A CONSTANT CIRCLE JERK TALKING
ABOUT HOW WE HAVE THE BEST FACILITIES.
THEY ARE CONSTANTLY
BUILDING SO THEY CAN GET ON THAT STUPID US WORLD NEWS REPORT
RANKING THING.
GET OVER THE
RANKING.
I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE BUILDINGS.
I JUST WANT
AFFORDABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE SO THEY CAN GET A HIGHER
EDUCATION.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE ACTUAL NUMBERS TO SHOW YOU
HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD BENEFIT
FROM THIS.
IT IS RELATIVELY SMALL.
ALSO THERE WAS A
STATEMENT TODAY FROM THE STUDENT BODY THERE.
HERE IS WHAT THEY
HAD TO SAY.
THE EXCELSIOR SCHOLARSHIP IS A SMOKESCREEN FOR
BACKDOOR TUITION HIKE THAT WILL FALL ON THE NEEDY STUDENTS TO
MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIPS STUDENTS MUST TAKE
30 CREDITS PER YEAR, WHICH MEANS FIVE CLASSES PER SEMESTER.
MORE
THAN A FULL-TIME LOAD, OR AND POSSIBLY FOR STUDENTS WHO MUST
WORK TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES OR CARE FOR CHILDREN.
IN ADDITION, STUDENTS MUST MAINTAIN A GPA TO BE DETERMINED
BY EACH COLLEGE FOR EVERY ONE OF THOSE FIVE CLASSES.
THOSE WHO DO
NOT QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM WILL BE BURDENED WITH A $1000 TUITION
HIKE WITH NO INCREASE IN FINANCIAL AID.
>> AND THEY CAN RAISE TUITION ANYWAY.
THE IDEA OF THEM BEING ñ
YOU OPERATED AT A CERTAIN LEVEL BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, THERE IS A
SUBSIDY THAT COMES IN, NOW YOU CAN JUST RAISE THE TUITION BY
THAT SUBSIDY.
NOW YOU JUST INJECTED MORE MONEY INTO THE
SYSTEM THAT YOU CAN POCKET AND BUILD BUILDINGS WITH.
WE JUST
TALKED TO JASON RUBIN WITH THE
STATE OF THE BUILDINGS AT CUNY.
THEY ARE NOT THAT GREAT.
>>LOOK, HERE'S THE THING, STATE INSTITUTIONS DON'T HAVE THE
RESOURCES TO PLAY THAT GAME.
BUT
OFTEN TIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TUITION HIKES ALL A LOT OF IT
HAS TO DO WITH SCHOOLS GETTING
UNDERFUNDED WHICH IS A HUGE PROBLEM ESPECIALLY DURING THE
RECESSION.
THAT IS THE FIRST THING POLITICIANS WANT TO CUT
FUNDING FOR.
SO THEY DO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY UPDATING THEIR
FACILITIES WHEN THEY DON'T NEED TO BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A VERY
COMPLEX ISSUE THAT THEY KEEP TRYING TO FIND SMALL SOLUTIONS
TO.
IT IS NOT ENOUGH.
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE FORCED TO TAKE
A FULL-TIME LOAD.
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE FORCED OR CONFINED
TO A SPECIFIC LOCATION FOR THEIR
JOBS.
THINK ABOUT THE RAMIFICATIONS ON YOUR CAREER IF
YOU ARE FORCED TO STAY IN ONE
PLACE FOR FOUR YEARS.
>> IF I AM CYNICAL I AM SAYING THEY DON'T END UP TRAINING
STUDENTS FOR JOBS THAT EXIST IN NEW YORK BECAUSE THEY DO WANT
THAT MONEY, THEY DON'T WANT TO
GIVE IT AWAY.
IDEALLY THE INCENTIVES LINEUP WHERE WE KNOW
ñ WE WANT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE IN NEW YORK AND YOU WANT TO GIVE
THEM JOBS HERE SO THEY PAY TAXES HERE, SO THEY REPAY TO US THE
INVESTMENT BY LIFTING THE OVERALL EDUCATED JOB MARKET IN
NEW YORK.
WHAT HOPEFULLY DOESN'T HAPPEN IS THEY SAY COME HERE, IT
IS FREE TUITION, MORE PEOPLE WILL STAY IN NEW YORK TO GO TO
SCHOOL.
IF I AM CYNICAL WE SAY WE DON'T GIVE THEM THE TRAINING.
>> JUST ONE QUICK RESPONSE ABOUT REVENUE.
IF YOU ARE SO CONCERNED
ABOUT REVENUE FOR THE STATE, MAYBE WE SHOULD FOCUS ON THE
WEALTHIEST PEOPLE LIVING IN YOUR
STATE TO GET AWAY WITH PAYING VERY LITTLE IN TAXES.
THERE IS A
LOT OF WEALTH IN NEW YORK.
GOING
AFTER THE NEEDIEST PEOPLE IS NOT THE WAY TO DO IT.