ALBANY, N.Y. (March 22, 2023) – In response to the release of the New York State Assembly and Senate’s one house budget proposals, Lola W. Brabham, president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York (CICU) said:
“On behalf of New York’s 100-plus independent colleges and universities, we thank Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate Higher Education Committee Chair Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, and Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Assemblymember Patricia Fahy for their leadership and tremendous support for New York’s college students in Senate and Assembly One-House Budget Resolutions.”
“We applaud both Houses for increasing the income limit for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) which will help hardworking New York families make college affordable, increasing support for Education Opportunity Programs, investing in the Higher Education Capital (HECap) matching grant program, and supporting important research and development activities happening at our state’s independent colleges and universities.”
“Additionally, the Senate proposes funding for a new $30 million Green HECap program. This funding will enable colleges and universities to make critical infrastructure investments and meet the state’s ambitious carbon reduction goals to improve the resiliency of communities across the state. The Senate also calls for increasing Bundy Aid by 10 percent – a student-serving program that has not been adequately funded in more than 30 years. Each of these proposals would improve the lives of New York students and families and we strongly urge them to be included in the FY 2024 Enacted Budget.”
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About the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York: The CICU is a statewide association representing the public policy interests of the chief executives of more than 100 independent colleges and universities in New York State.
Founded in 1956 by a small group of private, not-for-profit college and university presidents, the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) now represents 100+ independent campuses across New York State. Although not a government agency, CICU is an educational corporation formed under the New York State Regents. Its mission is to develop consensus among a diverse membership and to advance higher education public policy. www.cicu.org