During a meeting of the Student Association Assembly on Monday night, student representatives debated whether students should support or act against SUNY tuition increases proposed in the New York State Budget, which is due for approval by January.
SUNY Student Assembly Delegate Anthony Burgio said that during the SUNY SA fall conference, delegates discussed the issue of a tuition increase and after an executive committee last week, decided to back the proposal.
"SUNY SA supports a moderate rational tuition increase, only if the state ties in a plan to put a cap on fees, and if there is an increased state participation (in higher education)," Burgio said. "Students should not be burdened with the whole cost of education."
Noting that 20 other statewide student organizations are opposing tuition hikes, Waitzman said there is "no guarantee" the state budget will call for increases to the Tuition Assistance Program, which was cut last year.
"There is no reason for a tuition increase," Assemblyman Adam Waitzman said. "The real reason (for the increase) is that the state is more interested in giving state tax cuts for big corporations."
According to Waitzman, the average cost of attending a SUNY institution went up 97 percent between 1990 and 2000. A fall pamphlet distributed by the New York State Public Interest Research Group stated that the last tuition increase took place in 1995 and was a $750 hike.
Waitzman said the highest political apathy rate is among people between the ages of 18 to 24, which leads the state government to believe it can make decisions that will affect that population without fearing negative reactions.
"(The New York State government does not) think we can do anything, they think they can do whatever they want, and we won't do anything."
