WPCNR'S ADAM IN ALBANY. By Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley (The 89th A.D.) February 18, 2006: I have always stood up to the governor when I disagree with his proposals and have successfully made a point to restore his drastic cuts to higher education. Last year, I helped pass an on-time budget that provided $15 million to SUNY Purchase and $10.5 million to Westchester Community College for much needed capital projects. This year, I am fighting for the Assembly’s budget proposal which makes significant investments in New York’s higher education system and rejects the most harmful parts of the governor’s budget.
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In total, the Assembly restores almost $320 million in state support to local colleges and universities:
· We reject the governor’s $500 tuition hike at SUNY
· We increase overall operating aid
· We restore full-funding to local community colleges
· We provide increased funding for vital opportunity programs for students
Under the Assembly’s budget plan, more than $119 million in TAP funding will be restored and the successful program will be expanded for part-time students, who often balance work and school demands. The Assembly’s plan also provides the first real operating aid increase in years for SUNY – aid that will mean 541 more SUNY faculty.
Our plan will also meet the state’s obligation under New York law to provide community colleges with 33 percent in support–this means an additional $1.5 million over the next two years for Westchester Community College. This increase will help to provide property tax relief to Westchester residents.
To help New York’s most vulnerable students, the Assembly’s plan provides a 10 percent increase to student opportunity programs, such as Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), Search for Education Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK), College Discovery and the Liberty Partnership Program. In the past thirty five years, these essential programs have extended a helping hand to nearly 30,000 disadvantaged students and provided opportunities that otherwise might not have been possible.
The last thing we need to do is create more obstacles to an affordable college education. I have continually fought to keep the promise of a college education within the reach of Westchester students– and this year is no different. My higher education plan creates opportunities for local families, and protects our colleges and universities which are one of New York’s fastest growing sectors and a powerful foundation of economic activity within the state. I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion with the Senate and governor to negotiate a final budget that protects our students and taxpayers.
