At last week's SUNY Student Assembly conference in Albany, the SUNY SA announced a proposal calling for the government and legislature to vote against tuition increases for SUNY and CUNY colleges and universities.
"One of the biggest things to be hitting SUNY SA will be a terrible, terrible budget problem," said Anthony Burgio, SUNY SA delegate. "The state itself is going to face some billion-dollar deficit - tuition increase is definitely expected."
SUNY SA is backing a proposal by the chancellor, the "SUNY Strategic Plan," as part of their endeavor to help stave off rising tuition costs.
"While we understand that New York faces challenging budgetary decisions, the state's budget should not be balanced on the backs of college students and their families," the proposal states. "We urge the governor and the Legislature to hold the line on tuition and increase financial support for higher education. CUNY, SUNY and community colleges are too important to allow further cuts or tuition increases."
The proposal also stated that the Educational Opportunity Program, the Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK) and College Discovery programs continue to operate on the same budget they did in 1994, despite a tuition increase to both SUNY and CUNY schools in that year.
"What I find to be very comforting is the importance SUNY is placing on assuring students' success includes significant and meaningful intellectual and 'whole person' growth," said SUNY Trustee George H. Pape, Jr.
Today, students from UB and Buffalo State College will meet at 10:15 a.m. at Buffalo State College to discuss the proposed tuition hikes.
The meeting is open to the public. According to a press release by the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), over 600 college organizations have signed a petition to oppose increased tuition.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
