Tuition costs and fees are rising. And for those living in New York, it can get really expensive. Which is why New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has recently announced that he has plans to provide free tuition.
This is good news for the state's public two and four year colleges. Cuomo has the support of former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Confident in his plan, Cuomo explained that a college education is not a luxury.
For Cuomo, higher education is an absolute necessity, as reported by The Atlantic. He is committed to make sure that New Yorkers have access to college education. Aside from Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and United States Education Secretary John King has also voiced their support for Cuomo's plan.
Cuomo insisted that every state resident will get the same treatment regardless of zip code. But the hype suddenly dimmed after critics pointed out that there are weaknesses in this plan, as reported by The Washington Post. Matt Chingos, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, pointed out that the $163 million plan would not benefit low-income students.
Although the cost of living in New York is high, Chingos points out that New York has the lowest tuition in the country. Assistant professor at Seton Hall University, Robert Kelchen, says that students face a lot of expenses in addition to the tuition which means Cuomos' plan would offer little to no help.
Both critics point out that free tuition does not make college free. Instead of using the funds for Cuomos' plan, these critics suggest to use the funds to pay for the additional expenses instead. This will help the disadvantaged students to alleviate debt.
Chingos wants people to understand that there is a trade-off between free colleges and other things that the state wants to do. These critics want everyone to look at options first before taking the leap. Because the word "Free" may be appealing to everyone but the fine print may mean different.
Watch the Associated Press video below to view Cuomo's speech on free tuition:
