NYPIRG Victory Equals No Tuition Hike
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By Marcel Votlucka After months of suspense, there will be no tuition hikes or aid cuts for SUNY and CUNY students. The state Senate, state Assembly, and Governor Pataki finally reached an agreement on higher education funding as part of this year’s state budget. Besides rejecting tuition increases for incoming students, the budget rejects a proposal to increase tuition for incoming students every year. The budget provides full funding for TAP as well as opportunity programs such as EOP, HEOP, SEEK, and College Discovery. Governor Pataki proposed a tuition increase in addition to incremental increases each year as well as cuts to TAP and EOP. 75% of Stony Brook students rely on financial aid, and advocates for higher education argue that the Governor’s proposals could’ve hurt these students’ ability to pay for college. In fact, Stony Brook students in particular could’ve faced higher increases because of the higher costs of operating SBU compared to other SUNY schools. Stony Brook students already pay an average of $13,000 per year in expenses. Pataki opted not to challenge the state legislature’s decision to reject his previous proposals. This was a source of tension for activists and students awaiting a decision on the budget. The new budget comes as a victory for students and NYPIRG, which led a grassroots effort among SUNY students to resist the proposed tuition hikes and aid cuts. NYPIRG held a rally on campus on March 30, exhorting students to call the Governor in an effort to protest the hikes. NYPIRG also organized a lobby day in Albany, which resulted in 112 meetings between students and state legislators. 500 students from across the state attended this event, a testament to NYPIRG’s efforts. Miriam Kramer, NYPIRG’s higher education coordinator, describes NYPIRG’s position on the matter this way, “If anything, this year’s budget proves that if there’s a legislative will, there’s a way to both hold the line on tuition and increase funding for the state’s colleges and universities.” NYPIRG activist Juliet DiFrenza remarked, “I think that this should be a lesson for all students who think that not voicing their opinion, who think that they have no power over what the government does. As for the win, I think this a momentous occasion which illustrates the power students hold when they band together.” Other student reactions were more succinct. When asked about NYPIRG’s victory, Christine Tanaka responded with a shout of “Yaaaaaay!”
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