Assemblyman Ramos and the Assembly Majority announced their higher education budget plan last week that rejects Governor Pataki’s wrong choices. This plan will make significant investments in New York’s higher education system while rejecting the most harmful parts of the governor’s budget.

Unlike the ill-conceived proposal from the governor, this plan will help ensure that all students still have access to an affordable college education. I will help to fight for a final state budget that not only restores the governor’s cuts but strengthens New York’s higher education system.

The plan restores almost $320 million in state support to local community colleges and universities. Highlights include:

• Requires the state to meet its obligation to fund its fair share or 33 percent for Community Colleges, including $2.5 million to SCCC over the next two years
• $119 million in Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funding
• Expands TAP for part-time students
• Increases support for vital opportunity programs like EOP and HEOP by 10 percent
• $131 million to SUNY – to prevent a tuition hike
• Increase operating aid to SUNY so they can add 540 faculty members

Our colleges and universities, including SCCC, are crucial to creating a work-force that is well-trained. Most importantly, this funding is critical to keeping our college students here in New York. Failure to properly fund higher education in our state could have disastrous effects on our future.

Our plan provides our students with the educational opportunities they deserve. I will continue to fight for a final state budget that strengthens New York’s higher education system and keeps the promise of a college education within reach for working families.