The War Over Tuition Hikes Heats Up
L.R. White
Issue date: 9/3/07 Section: News
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"Personally, I find Chancellor Goldstein's comment that a 13 percent tuition increase is 'modest' to be very insulting," Acevedo said.
"Coming from a man who makes $350,000 annually," he continued, "it's obvious the chancellor does not have the students best interest at heart.
Acevedo blames former Governor George Pataki for CUNY's budget shortfalls.
"Gov. Pataki's first year in office represented the first time the state spent more on prisons then on education," said Acevedo.
Student advocates are concerned that the PCTIP plan, along with cuts in the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), will force students out of school. NYPIRG is calling on the state to hold tuition levels and change its policy regarding TAP, allowing students to apply for mid-year financial aid adjustments so students who need more help will not have to wait until the next tax-year.
James Morrison, also a CUNY student, said that Goldstein is selling out the students. "Its bad enough we have to worry about politicians sabotaging our futures," he said. "But now we have to worry about the chancellor as well. This will make life harder for a lot of people."
Both CUNY and student advocate groups agree that the state needs to contribute more to educational funding. Nevertheless, student advocates are calling on the chancellor to put off talks of a tuition hike.
"Does the state need to allocate more funding to CUNY? Absolutely," Clarke said. "Yet, we cannot place the entire burden of balancing the budget on the backs of students. Tuition must remain affordable to all. This is the only way CUNY will continue too flourish into the next century."
"Coming from a man who makes $350,000 annually," he continued, "it's obvious the chancellor does not have the students best interest at heart.
Acevedo blames former Governor George Pataki for CUNY's budget shortfalls.
"Gov. Pataki's first year in office represented the first time the state spent more on prisons then on education," said Acevedo.
Student advocates are concerned that the PCTIP plan, along with cuts in the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), will force students out of school. NYPIRG is calling on the state to hold tuition levels and change its policy regarding TAP, allowing students to apply for mid-year financial aid adjustments so students who need more help will not have to wait until the next tax-year.
James Morrison, also a CUNY student, said that Goldstein is selling out the students. "Its bad enough we have to worry about politicians sabotaging our futures," he said. "But now we have to worry about the chancellor as well. This will make life harder for a lot of people."
Both CUNY and student advocate groups agree that the state needs to contribute more to educational funding. Nevertheless, student advocates are calling on the chancellor to put off talks of a tuition hike.
"Does the state need to allocate more funding to CUNY? Absolutely," Clarke said. "Yet, we cannot place the entire burden of balancing the budget on the backs of students. Tuition must remain affordable to all. This is the only way CUNY will continue too flourish into the next century."
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