Mount Hosts Press Conference On Making College Affordable for All
3/10/2017
Riverdale, N.Y. – The University of Mount Saint Vincent hosted Senator Jeff Klein, leader of the Independent Democratic Committee (IDC) of the New York State Senate, for a news conference on March 9 aimed at making college affordable and reducing student debt for students across the economic spectrum.
New York State’s existing student aid initiatives, including the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), help families from low-income families, but do not reach most students from working or middle class backgrounds. However, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to offer free SUNY tuition to students from families making less than $125,000 has drawn criticism from education advocates concerned over the initiative’s effect on independent colleges.
Senator Klein presented the IDC’s seven-point plan to cut college costs for all New York students. Proposals include reforming and expanding TAP; increasing the refundable tax credit for allowable tuition expenses for resident taxpayers; allowing employed residents to set aside part of their pre-tax income to cover undergraduate loan payments; reinstating the Liberty Scholarship, which would cover non-tuition expenses for students including room and board, transportation, and books; prohibiting credit reports from including information about student loans; establishing a pre-paid tuition plan that would lock in current tuition rates at participating New York institutions; and creating a task force to recommend ways for lenders to help students refinance their school loans.
Hailing the plan as “workable” and “creative,” Mount President Charles L. Flynn, Jr. sought to rectify misconceptions about private colleges. “The average income of students who enter independent schools is lower than at SUNY,” he said. Independent schools, he added, also graduate more students than their SUNY counterparts—and are a critical engine of upward mobility. According to a comprehensive new study on student economic mobility by UC Berkeley and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the College of Mount Saint Vincent shares third place among 578 selective independent colleges and universities nationwide. Mount students experience greater upward mobility than those of all but two colleges and universities across the country.
“If we want higher education to be achievable for students of every background, it is essential that students who attend independent institutions are treated equally,” Dr. Flynn said, to a burst of applause. “Working and middle class families need help. It should be possible in this country for a student to work [their] way through college. That is no longer possible.” He cited the burdens of debt and the lack of grant support as “too great” for these students to bear.
“Our state government has no reservations about turning to independent schools when it’s talking about engines of economic development,” Dr. Flynn continued. “It has no trouble talking about the importance of our independent institutions when it comes to the vitality of the state. But to begin to effectively discriminate against students who go to independent institutions in favor of those who go to [state schools] is not serving justice or the future of the state.”
While the IDC’s proposal may not contain catchy terms like “free,” Dr. Flynn said—to laughter and applause—its common-sense approach was exactly what the state needed to provide all its students access to higher education.
Other speakers included Dr. Michael Geisler, President of Manhattanville College; Dr. Timothy L. Hall, President of Mercy College; Vanessa J. Herman, Assistant Vice President of Government and Community Relations at Pace University; Lesley A. Massiah-Arthur, Associate Vice President for Government Relations and Urban Affairs at Fordham University; and Shivaji Sengupta, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Boricua College. Mount Board of Trustee member Steve Acunto and Mount Student Government Association (SGA) president Damarcus Williams, along with Pace and Fordham students, also offered remarks.
Mount senior Pedro Figueroa said that the IDC’s proposal would help alleviate his student debt. “I hope we can make progress in making these plans a reality,” he said. “It’s vital to offer educational access to everyone, not limiting choice or serving only the few.”
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.