Gov. Andrew Cuomo introduced legislation Thursday to let the State University of New York adopt 5 percent annual tuition increases for five years, plus let its university centers add 3 percent a year to expand its programs. Officials with the 64-campus system have been pressing lawmakers for several years to allow SUNY to increase tuition without needing legislative approval during the annual state budget process. They proposed what they call a “rational” tuition plan, which the governor has adopted in his bill. The 20-year average annual tuition increase for SUNY is 6.7 percent, but there have been long periods of flat tuition followed by large spikes during tough economic times. The lack of predictability has made it difficult for campuses and families to plan, Cuomo and SUNY officials have said. The bill would also authorize state funding of the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program, under which each of the four university centers — in Binghamton, Albany, Buffalo and Stony Brook, Suffolk County — could obtain $35 million for long-term economic development at campuses and surrounding communities, Cuomo said. If their proposals were approved, each campus would receive $20 million in state funds and $15 million from SUNY. The legislative session ends June 20.
-Courtesy of Press and Sun
