Assemblywoman Jaffee: Assembly Invests in Higher Education System Including Creation of DREAM Act

Increases funding to community colleges by $150 per-FTE student; Provides $25 million for the creation of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act

March 11, 2013

Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee (D-Suffern) announced the Assembly passed a 2013-14 state budget proposal that would bolster our higher education system by increasing support to $2,422 per-Full Time Equivalent (FTE) student at SUNY community colleges and CUNY community colleges (E.182). The Assembly’s base aid increase is $150 per-FTE student, which would be the second consecutive increase in community college base aid.

“The Assembly has once again made a strong commitment to increasing aid for community colleges, helping keep the dream of a college education in reach for more working families,” Jaffee said.

Protecting New York’s higher education opportunities

The Assembly’s proposal provides $110 million to SUNY hospitals, for an increase in support of $50 million. Additionally, the Assembly budget provides a 3 percent increase in funding for college opportunity programs, including:

• an increase of $728,040 to the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP);
• an increase of $632,430 to the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP);
• an increase of $551,340 to the Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK) program;
• an increase of $376,260 to Liberty Partnerships;
• an increase of $324,030 to the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP);
• an increase of $245,520 to the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP); and
• an increase of $26,500 to the College Discovery program.

“The Assembly budget proposal continues our strong commitment to education by keeping the well-regarded SUNY/CUNY system both affordable and available to New York’s youth,” Jaffee said. “By increasing support to the programs that open doors to more and more students, we’re making a real investment in the future success of our children and New York as a whole.”

The Assembly also provides $1.7 million to SUNY child care centers, a $653,000 restoration, and $1.4 million to CUNY child care centers, a $544,000 restoration.

Assembly Continues support for NYSUNY 2020

The Assembly budget proposal also includes $55 million in capital funding for a third round of NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grants.

“New York has one of the finest higher education systems in the nation,” Jaffee said. “It’s vital that we continue to grow and improve infrastructure on our SUNY campuses so our students have quality places to learn.”

Creating New York’s DREAM Act

The Assembly budget proposal provides $25 million for the creation of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, which Jaffee co-sponored. This would, for the first time ever, allow immigrant students to apply for several state tuition-assistance programs to help them pay for their higher education.

“While Washington continues to struggle with immigration reform and possible pathways to citizenship, we need to recognize that these children are already here,” said Jaffee. “Immigration status is a barrier that has held highly motivated immigrant students back from growing, learning and achieving their dreams for too long. The DREAM Act takes monumental steps forward in making sure all students in New York State can obtain a higher education.”

Since 2002, undocumented immigrants have been allowed to pay in-state tuition at state and city universities. The DREAM Act goes a step further by increasing access for undocumented youth to a broad range of state educational assistance programs, including:

• Tuition Assistance Program (TAP);
• Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP);
• Educational Opportunity Program (EOP);
• Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (C-STEP); and
• Opportunity programs available at community colleges.

“Not only does the DREAM Act help keep the costs of higher education down, it also gives every immigrant child in our state the opportunity to have a bright and successful future,” Jaffee said.

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