New York State Governor, Andrew Cuomo, wanted to make a difference for his state and community. In January of 2017, he became devising a plan that would allow students to attend college for free. He understood the necessity of this step as college tuition has been rapidly increasing over the past decade. Additionally, once students finish college, the ability to find a decent job is extremely challenging. As a result, students have a very hard time paying back their incredibly large loans.
Last Sunday night, the senate approved Andrew’s request and tuition will be completely free to New York state residents who make $100,000 or less a year. In 2019, the income bracket will increase to $125,000 a year. Only tuition will be completely covered for state colleges and universities. All other expenses that come with attending school will still cost money, such as room and board, books, etc.
Students who wish to take advantage of this opportunity also need to be enrolled in school full time. Meaning, they need to be taking a minimum of 30 credits a year to be eligible. This makes it challenging for part time students.