Today in Albany, the Assembly Majority blocked an initiative to make college degrees more affordable for middle-class families in New York State. Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick), a leading proponent of education on Long Island and member of the Assembly’s Education Committee, denounced the vote and said it was disgraceful to hard-working families who are desperately trying to fund their children’s college educations. McDonough sponsors a bi-partisan measure that would allow New York State residents to earn Bachelor’s Degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) for $10,000.

“At a time when college costs are skyrocketing and an increasing percentage of jobs require a college education, we should be doing all we can to help students achieve their dreams without being suffocated by mountains of student loan debt,” McDonough said. “This program would provide a path to an affordable college degree in one of New York’s fastest-growing industries. It is degrading to parents working multiple jobs and students racking up mounds of college debt for the Assembly Majority to deny them this extraordinary opportunity. I will continue to champion measures to expand college affordability and help young people reach their goals.”