College Students Rally in Albany

ALBANY, NY (03/02/2010)(readMedia)-- ALBANY, NY – More than 150 students, faculty and administrators from New York's degree-granting proprietary colleges rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday, imploring lawmakers to reject proposed cuts to the state's Tuition Assistance Program within the proposed executive budget.

The delegation represented the Association of Proprietary Colleges, a statewide association with 26 accredited members on 39 campuses.

The executive budget would:

• Reduce the maximum TAP award for students enrolled in a two-year degree-granting program from $5,000 to $4,000. This proposal is not limited only to maximum awards. All awards would be reduced by the same amount – 20 percent. Only minimum awards would not be impacted.

• Reduce all TAP awards by $75. Under current law, TAP recipients generally receive awards ranging from $500 to $5,000. As a result, awards will range from $425 to $4,925. This amount would be reduced proportionally by semester, trimester or other term of attendance during the academic year.

TAP is an investment in New York students. It makes it possible for thousands of New Yorkers to afford college. Once the students graduate, they are able to secure good jobs here in New York and become productive, taxpaying members of their communities.

"The measures unfairly target the neediest students attending two-year colleges in New York," said Stephen Jerome, APC board chairman and president of Monroe College in the Bronx and New Rochelle. "Many of these colleges are the entry point for low-income and minority students seeking a higher education. If we cut funding to these students, we are essentially telling them they can't go to college. These cuts will crush dreams."

The rally and corresponding legislative visits gave both APC officials and students a chance to share their gratefulness for TAP, as well as their experiences taking advantage of it.

Billy Figueroa, a student at the Art Institute of New York City who attended Tuesday's rally, is like many is like many students attending an APC college; he is the first in his family to seek higher education. "My family members couldn't afford to go," said Figueroa, who sees TAP as a solution to ending the cycle of poverty in families. "Without TAP, I would not be able to attend college either."

Another rally attendee, student Corey Evans from Technical Career Institutes in New York City, said "TAP is so important. It helps students now, and I want it to be around to help future students, like my daughter, if she needs it. TAP, quite simply, helps keep the cost of college affordable."

Denise Goodemote, a Bryant & Stratton College student from Buffalo, said New York lawmakers must take a long-range view on the benefits of funding higher education. "TAP was created to help those in need receive a higher education," she said. "This education will in turn help our economy become strong in the future."

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The Association of Proprietary Colleges represents 26 tax-paying, degree-granting colleges located on 39 campuses across New York. The proprietary sector is one of the four sectors of higher education in New York. APC Colleges offer associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in a variety of programs, including business, health care, hospitality management, graphic arts, technology and more.

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