cIcu | Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities

Editorials and News Clippings

• May 4, 2010 The Journal News Op-ed: Investing in Higher Education Pays Off, by Kimberly R. Cline, President, Mercy College
  More than 4 million New Yorkers have realized their college aspirations with New York State Tuition Assistance Program awards. We are proud that 47 percent of Mercy College's undergraduate students received TAP funding in the 2008-09 academic year. Hispanic students make up nearly 28 percent of Mercy College's enrollment; many of these students
  receive this vital financial support from TAP.
  

• April 23, 2010 Long Island Business News Op-ed: College for a Well-Rounded Life, by Robert A. Scott, President, Adelphi University
  This is the time of year when high school seniors anxiously await word from the colleges of their choice and high school juniors actively begin looking into those they would like to visit. In addition to the obvious questions of "fit," including location, size, governance, cost and opportunities, students should be thinking about what they might study and where they should study it.
  

• April 7, 2010 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Letter to Editor, State Aid Secures College Education
  "I am a senior at Rochester Institute of Technology. Raised by grandparents with limited resources, I knew I would need to work hard in high school to get into a good college and be awarded scholarships to help cover the costs."

• March 3, 2010 New York Amsterdam News: Tapping Our Future For Failure
  Over the next few weeks, thousands of New York State high school seniors will receive college decisions letters in the mail. These letters, which are known to be “thick” if it is an acceptance and “thin” if it’s a rejection, may not matter if our students can’t afford to pay or go.
  

• March 12, 2009 Poughkeepsie Journal: Partnership makes learning fun: Marist students mentor young counterparts
  Marist College Liberty Partnership Program: This program provides middle and high school students who are struggling in school access to a number of services to help them graduate from high school and enter college.
  

• February 11, 2009 Buffalo News Editorial: Loan Program Needed - Governor Cuts Financial Aid, But Offers Help with Borrowing
  "Patterson is on the right track in financing the program despite the state's estimated $15 billion budget deficit. The state, as he said, must stay competitive with other states offering similar incentives, and the benefits to Western New York would be significant."
  

• June 10, 2007 The Times Union Editorial, Wisdom on TAP
  "I am a senior at Rochester Institute of Technology. Raised by grandparents with limited resources, I knew I would need to work hard in high school to get into a good college and be awarded scholarships to help cover the costs. Financial aid was a very important consideration when selecting to attend RIT, which offered me an attractive financial aid package that included grants, scholarships, loans and work-study. Support from the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) these past four years has helped. Without the grant support though TAP, I would be forced to borrow more than I would be able to repay."

• April 11, 2007 Buffalo News Editorial: Investing in College - TAP Adjustments Worth a Look as Part of Education Package
  Independent colleges and universities are hoping the State Legislature adds a 20 percent increase, phased in over four years, to the Tuition Assistance Program that helps students pay for a higher education. That request should get careful consideration, but lawmakers will have to balance the need with budget constraints.