Issue Position: Expand Access to Higher Education

Issue Position

In my view, higher education should be a right, not a privilege -- the same way access to a quality high school education is a right. That is why I have introduced a constitutional amendment to make New York the first state in the nation to guarantee the right to a free, quality higher education.

Simply put, I believe we need to invest in higher education - whether that means a free and fully funded CUNY and SUNY, more funding for TAP, the Higher Education Capital Grant Program or a commitment to increasing "Bundy Aid," all of which support the private, not for profit universities that play such a vital role in our communities and educational ecosystem.

Yet every year, state funding for our public higher education institutions continues to decline, and every year, the percentage of the budget covered by student tuition rises.

Meanwhile, 50% of CUNY students are food insecure -- and that was before this pandemic. We need to work to make public higher education free for all, and fully fund CUNY and SUNY. Here's my plan for a New York where everyone is guaranteed access to an excellent higher education.

Invest in CUNY and SUNY. State funding for public schools across the country is $9 billion below 2008 levels, adjusted for inflation, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities -- and New York is no exception. We need to reverse this trend and commit to a budget that fully invests in CUNY and SUNY.

Forgive student loans for public servants. No one should be stuck with tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt when they are struggling to pay their own bills. For New Yorkers who work in public service in New York, we must introduce debt forgiveness programs so New Yorkers can continue to work and contribute to the common good instead of drowning in debt.

Increase the number of guidance counselors in schools. Every student deserves a shot at a higher education. We must substantially increase the number of guidance counselors in our high schools so every student - no matter their socioeconomic background - has the support they need to apply to and attend college.

Close the Tap GAP. The TAP gap is the difference between full tuition and the State Tuition Assistance Program funding. CUNY has lost out on hundreds of millions of dollars since 2011 because of the state's failure to close the gap for these tuition funds.

Fully fund opportunity programs. Opportunity programs provide aid, assistance and academic support to students who benefit from them. The best way to empower first-generation college students or students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds is to invest in programs that support their success in college and beyond. These programs are continuously threatened with cuts -- but instead of cuts, we should invest in and expand these programs throughout our CUNY and SUNY systems.

Increase adjunct pay. Our public universities increasingly rely on adjuncts to teach crucially needed coursework. They need to be paid fairly and provided with the working conditions they need -- out of fairness to them and to ensure the best possible student experience.

Reduce the ratio between students and Support Staff. Public university students should have access to advisors and mental health counselors whenever they need them. I have introduced legislation that would require at least one mental health staff member for every 1,000 students, which would rank CUNY and SUNY above the national average.. Right now, there is only one mental health counselor for every 2,700 students, compared to a national average of a 1-to-1200 ratio across campuses nationally.

Rebuild and maintain campuses. Our CUNY and SUNY campuses should have a capital budget that not only allows campuses to undertake long-overdue repair and maintenance projects, but also the room to grow our campuses. After all, CUNY's last major expansion was during the great depression, because we understand that the way to rebound our City, State and Economy is to invest in our future and bolster higher education.

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