Mixed early reviews to governor’s free SUNY/CUNY tuition proposal

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Cuomo’s top cheerleader at Tuesday’s announcement was
Vermont Senator and unsuccessful presidential candidate

Bernie Sanders

ALBANY – Governor Cuomo’s proposal to offer free college
tuition at SUNY and CUNY schools to students from low- and middle-income
families has received mixed reviews from area education and political
figures.
SUNY Orange President Dr, Kristine Young called the proposal “bold,” and said the announcement “further broadened the discussion on how we can expand access and open doors to quality higher education for all.”
Senator Susan Serino (R, Hyde Park) said while students and families are “drowning in higher education debt, the reality is there simply isn’t an unlimited pot of money to draw from.”  Serino said if taxpayers are going to be asked to pick up the tab for tuition, there must be an incentive to ensure that when they graduate, the students stay and work in New York.
Assemblyman James Skoufis (D, Woodbury) said the governor and legislature must “come together and heed the call from our families to live up to SUNY’s and CUNY’s original promise: a truly affordable and high-quality experience.”
Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R, Westbrookville) said the proposal is “misguided, irresponsible and the kind of nanny-state socialism that perpetuates New York’s image as one of the most expensive states in the nation in which to live and operate a business.”
He said the proposal’s cost, an estimated $163 million per year, “is a financial burden we cannot place on future generations.” 




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