College Students Travel To Albany to Urge Lawmakers to Stop the TAP Cuts

ALBANY, NY (02/25/2010)(readMedia)-- On Tuesday, March 2, students and faculty from across the state will gather at the State Capitol in Albany to urge state lawmakers to continue to invest in the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), and reject the governor's proposed TAP cuts. The students and faculty represent member colleges of New York's Association of Proprietary Colleges (APC).

From 9 to 11:30 a.m., APC students will meet with legislators and urge them to reject the governor's proposal to cut all TAP awards by $75 and to reduce the maximum TAP award for all students in two-year degree programs from $5,000 to $4,000.

The proposal delivers a one-two punch to educationally and economically disadvantaged students attending two-year degree institutions; these are the very students TAP was designed to aid in the first place. The governor's actions mean college will not be an option for many of New York's neediest students, primarily those who have the academic qualifications to attend college, but not the financial means.

From 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., students will join APC presidents, faculty, state legislators and staff in Room 711A of the Legislative Office Building for APC's TAP Rally. At the rally, students will give personal accounts of how TAP has positively influenced their lives.

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The Association of Proprietary Colleges represents 26 tax-paying, degree-granting colleges located on 39 campuses across New York. Proprietary colleges are one of the four sectors of higher education in New York. APC Colleges offer degrees in more than 60 associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs, including business, health care, hospitality management, graphic arts and technology.