Legislature's Budget Says "No" To Pataki's SUNY/CUNY Tuition Hike;
Backs It Up With An Operating Aid Increase Of More Than $130 Million

Assembly And Senate Agree On $763 Million For SUNY/CUNY Capital Projects Plan

University Systems To Receive $373 Million More Than Governor's Budget

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Higher Education Committee Chair Ron Canestrari today announced the passage of the Legislature's budget agreement for the 2006-07 State Fiscal Year, which rejects Gov. George Pataki's cuts to higher education and provides $373 million more than the governor's budget to support the university systems of New York State (SUNY) and New York City (CUNY).

"Our state university system is critical to establishing a robust economy where our workforce will receive the training and education it needs to compete for the high paying jobs in the emerging new technology industries. This is not the time to cut funding to higher education and impose financial obstacles in the way of the college dream. If New Yorkers are to have a stake in the global economy, it's critical they have access to SUNY and CUNY and our community colleges," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

"This budget provides a significant, but long over due, investment in the capital projects of SUNY and CUNY. Our commitment will allow the nation's second biggest public university system to modernize its facilities so that future generations of New Yorkers will have access to the most up-to-date campuses to receive the benefits of an affordable college education," said Higher Education Committee Chair Ron Canestrari.

The bipartisan budget negotiated through legislative conference committees would:

• Provide a $131.33 million increase in operating aid to stop the governor's plan to increase tuition at SUNY by $500 and $300 at CUNY;

• Invest $763 million more than what the governor proposed for capital improvement needs at the state university systems with nearly $461 million for SUNY and $302 million for CUNY;

• Establish an initiative proposed by the Assembly for a Part-Time TAP Program for students attending the state and city university systems as well as the state's independent colleges;

• Increase in funding for community college base aid by $17.06 million;

• Increase funding for SUNY's full-time faculty needs by $25 million, allowing up to 313 additional faculty members to be hired;

• Restore $83.650 million in TAP funding, rejecting the governor's unfair restrictions on TAP eligibility; and

• Reject the governor's push to increase student full-time status from 12 to 15 credits.

"I'm very pleased that we were able to establish the Part-Time Tap program. As more and more New Yorkers seek additional skills to improve their employment opportunities and earning power, the number of non-traditional students has increased with many of them only able to pursue their studies on a part-time basis as they juggle their time around family obligations and full-time jobs. This program will allow more New Yorkers to pursue their dreams," said Silver.

"Gov. Pataki wanted the students, by burdening them with higher tuition payments, to assume a greater share of the state's responsibility to fund SUNY and CUNY. Happily, we rejected the governor's irresponsible proposal and met our responsibility, which is to ensure that our public university system provides New Yorkers access to college education at a cost they can afford," said Canestrari.

The budget also would allow members of the National Guard who have successfully completed their term of enlistment to continue to receive tuition benefits if the person was deployed in a combat zone and was unable to participate in the tuition benefits while enlisted. In addition, TAP eligibility rules were amended to include catastrophic illness or being called to active duty as reasons that would allow adjustments to a student's TAP award.

"I'm very pleased that the Assembly's higher education objectives were achieved in this budget. We reversed two troubling trends: the increasing reliance on tuition dollars to support SUNY and CUNY and the decline in state funding for the operation of these two outstanding university systems. With this budget, more full-time faculty can be hired, reducing the dependence on adjunct professors," said Canestrari. "In sum, we are avoiding the governor's damaging funding cuts, preserving the good reputation of our world-renowned university systems and keeping a college education within the reach of the children of our working families."

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