Looks like the possibility of free college tuition didn’t die with the Bernie Sanders campaign after all. At least if New York governor Andrew Cuomo has anything to say about it. The Democratic governor unveiled a plan yesterday that would make tuition to any of New York state’s public college free, assuming you meet the criteria.
What’s that criteria? For starters, you must be located in New York state. Second, your family’s household must make less than $125,000 per year. Third, you have to be a high school student applying for college. ABC News estimates the program would cover 940,000 households in New York state, and could begin as early as this fall. The average cost for a four year degree at SUNY and CUNY schools is $26,000, while the average cost for a two year degree is just under $10,000.
Easing the increasingly worrisome amount of student loan debt certainly played into this plan. The federal government already increased the loan forgiveness plan at the end of 2016 to $108 billion. Free tuition overlord Bernie Sanders was present for the unveiling of plan yesterday, which would realize his main campaign promise in one of the nation’s most important states. The former presidential candidate said at the event, “if New York state does it this year, mark my words, state after state will follow.” We can only hope.
[via ABC News]