By Ryan Fratello
Fratello is a Brooklyn College student, serving as a public policy intern for the New York Public Interest Research Group.
To The Editor,
My father passed away in November of 2017. His pension was lost and my mom needed to find a way to pay off her mortgage, support two children, put food on the table, pay bills and property taxes and more. I needed to find the extra money to afford the tuition costs beyond what the federal government loans would allow, so I took out private loans. We all deserve an affordable college education that does not put us in debt.
Tuition at public colleges and universities has jumped over 42% over the past eleven years, while state funding has remained largely flat and financial aid programs let too many students fall through the cracks. On top of that, mounting costs associated with getting a college degree – textbooks, housing, childcare, food, and transit – threaten college accessibility for too many.
Despite these challenges, a college-educated workforce is key for supporting a just recovery for individuals and nurturing an economy strained by COVID-19. College-educated workers earn more than their high-school educated peers – by an average of $30,000 per year, as found by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The average bachelor’s degree holder contributes $278,000 more to local economies than the average high school graduate through direct spending over the course of their lifetime; and an associate degree holder contributes $81,000 more than a high school graduate. And investment in higher education will benefit New York’s economy; for every $1 spent on education, the economy reaps $8 dollars in benefits, according to a study looking at the SUNY system.
That is why NYPIRG and our partners are hosting Higher Education Action Week from Wednesday, February 16th through Friday, February 18th. Students from across the state will be meeting with state representatives and their staff to advocate for the New Deal for CUNY, eliminating the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Gap and expanding TAP to incarcerated individuals and part-time students. Sign up here to help advance higher education access in New York.
And to learn more about NYPIRG’s Brooklyn College Chapter, fill out this form or stop by Ingersoll 1433.