Cahill Calls Tuition Hike “Ill-Advised”, “Enough is Enough”

February 6, 2009

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill joined those who expressed concern and disapproval over the decision of the State University Board of Trustees to unilaterally raise student tuition and the subsequent "sweep" of those funds to fill the New York State budget gap for the current fiscal year.

"I was dismayed when the board made the ill-advised decision to raise tuition in the first place," Cahill said. "Before, at the time and since, I warned that by doing so, the most significant bargaining power we had would be lost and that is exactly what happened."

SUNY advocates, including Assemblyman Cahill, were successful in getting 10 percent of the $76 million tuition increase rededicated to the State University, but 90% remained committed to deficit reduction.

“Had the tuition sweep been a standalone proposition, I surely would have voted against it,” the Assemblyman said. “Instead, it was just a part of the $1.3 billion package that was presented to ward off a serious and potentially crippling fiscal calamity.”

“It is unfair to ask the students of the State University system and their families to shoulder this disproportionate burden in this time of great need.” Cahill added. “I will be working with many of my colleagues who count SUNY as a top priority to assure more favorable treatment in April when we pass the 2009-2010 financial plan.

“These are extraordinary times for public budgets. Whole nations thought to be stable, like Iceland and Belgium, have collapsed into financial ruin. Virtually every state in the Union is suffering in unprecedented ways. We cannot allow the large deficits New York is facing because of the world financial meltdown to bring us to that same point,” said Assemblyman Cahill. “Still, with the Governor’s cuts to SUNY last summer, the unilateral decision of the SUNY Board to raise tuition and the actions taken in the Deficit Reduction Package, enough is enough. We must renew our pledge to support affordable higher public education and begin to restore funding in the next budget.”

Mr. Cahill also conveyed his concern over the Board’s position on what they call a “rational tuition” policy. “This proposal is nothing more than an automatic system of raising tuition and thereby placing an ever increasing financial load on students,” he said. The plan includes no guarantee that any additional revenue generated from this plan will be placed into the university system, nor can it assure that the State contribution will keep up.”

Assemblyman Cahill (SUNY New Paltz, ’77), a member of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, is and has been one of the strongest advocates for SUNY in State Capitol. He successfully fought for increased support for expanding fulltime faculty, new programs and significant new facilities. In just the last several years, Assemblyman Cahill secured capital grants for the first ever overhaul of the Student Union Building, Main Building renovations, Van Den Berg Learning Center and the Sojourner Truth Library. He also helped obtain funding for the Health and Wellness Athletic Complex and a new Science Building on campus. At the same time, the Assemblyman has been a staunch opponent of tuition and fee increases. His advocacy also includes our community colleges. Most recently he successfully fought for restoration of full base aid to our community colleges. Assemblyman Cahill has introduced a number of pieces of legislation specifically to make public higher education more affordable.

“Accessible and affordable public higher education is our surest path to economic success. I look forward to working with the college community to achieve that goal,” he concluded.

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