Many families will now be able to afford to give their child a college education. The groundbreaking bill, called Excelsior, is an assistance program that allows students to receive free tuition to an in-state college. Some states offer free tuition to two-year colleges, but New York State will be the first to provide a Free Education from a four-year institution.
Will there be any requirements for the recipients of this assistance?
For a student to have the ability to receive the funds available, they must be in a family that makes less than $100,000 a year.
They must also sign an agreement that states that they must live and work in New York for the same amount of time that they received tuition payment. All students must be enrolled full-time in a college or university. To the federal government, a full-time student is described as a student enrolled in twelve or more credit hours per semester. The students must also be on track to graduate withing four years. In New York, ninety percent of students enrolled in community college would not be able to receive this scholarship due to these requirements. In four-year college programs, sixty percent of students would still be considered ineligible.
So what are people saying about this scholarship program?
D. Bruce Johnstone, a previous chancellor from The State University of New York, said: "If you are really concerned about the students who are not attending because of the reality or the perception of unaffordability, this is not the way to help them." He went on to say "This is going to cost money, and it will make some parents happy, but I don't see it moving the accessibility needle." He is saying that people who are not going because of the perceived extra cost will still not go.
Many of them are using this as an excuse.
Sara Goldrick-Rab, a professor at Temple University who teaches higher education policy and sociology, stated that she thinks the incentive of free tuition will encourage many prospective students to apply. She then goes on to say that she was supportive of the bill until she read the final language.
What does this mean for many young adults?
Many young people will have a chance at a higher education. The appeal of free tuition will encourage many people to apply and attend a university. The fact that some requirements are in place in order for the student to maintain the scholarship, many students will step up and continue to thrive in school. When people are given real-life repercussions that are as big as being able to pay for college or not, many students will try their best to maintain their grades and graduate on time.
