New York lawmakers approve free middle-class college tuition

NY isn’t offering free college to literally everyone. Students do not have to be recent high school graduates to enroll, but they also can not be in default on existing federal or state student loans.

Is there an age limit?

No. Students must be a citizen, permanent resident, or refugee.

Governor Andrew Cuomo, is expected to sign the new bill into law allowing students whose yearly income is less than $100,000 to receive the Excelsior Scholarship.

Could students lose the scholarship?

To qualify the student would have to be enrolled full-time, maintain a certain grade point average, and a number of credits each year.

But there will be exceptions. That would cover about 25,000 students who attend a 4 year school… but an estimated 200,000 students would be eligible.

David Agosto’s son, Jason is eyeing Buffalo State College once he graduates from high school.

That accounts for half of SUNY and 60 per cent of CUNY students.

Tuition now costs $6,470 at four-year college and $4,350 at community colleges – but the scholarship won’t cover the cost of room and board. Books and supplies run about $1,300 in both systems, Forbes said. It also won’t cover undocumented students, who now aren’t eligible for state financial aid. In a series of tweets before the legislature acted on the budget, she urged lawmakers to remove the stay-in-New-York requirement, calling it “a trick” and “dangerous”.

The bill comes with some provisions: It excludes part-time students, room and board, and other fees.

Scholarship funds are accounting for other federal and state grants. They will impose the price hike to students whose parents earn more than the stated tuition threshold.

Students wanting to apply for the free tuition will have a wide range of public universities to contemplate. “With this program, every child will have the opportunity that education provides”.

The governor’s office estimates that the program will cost the state $163 million. Adults entering college for the first time are also eligible. A SUNY spokeswoman said the school does not expect to see any revenue losses under the Excelsior Scholarship because of that protection.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Hillary Clinton increased the momentum that has been building for debt-free college for years, with proposals presented during the 2016 presidential campaign to make public higher education free for the majority of American families.