“On Tuesday, the governor released his plan to provide free SUNY and CUNY tuition via the Excelsior Scholarship to New York State families who earn less than $125,000 per year. According to the governor, the estimated cost will be approximately $163 million per year once fully instated in 2019.

“While I am encouraged by the idea of making college more affordable for all New Yorkers who wish to pursue higher education, I am hesitant to throw my support behind the plan. It is important to know exactly where the money for this Excelsior Scholarship is coming from and if the estimated figure provided by the governor is even correct. The Assembly Minority Conference has offered solutions to decrease the cost of college tuition such as the “Learning for Work” program, yet we have been continually ignored. There are still far too many unanswered questions surrounding this plan.”