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Doubts about ‘free tuition’ proposal

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo hold a press conference Jan. 3, 2017 in Queens to announce Cuomo’s plan for the state to cover all college tuition costs for students from middle-and low-income households. (Photo provided — Kevin P. Coughlin, governor’s office)

We have reservations about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal, announced last week, to let middle- and lower-income New Yorkers go to state colleges — SUNY and CUNY, four- and two-year — without paying any tuition.

First, we should say that the high and rising cost of college tuition is a worthy problem to tackle, and we agree that the best way for the state government to do so is through its own public colleges, not by providing extra aid to help students attend expensive private schools.

We should also disclose that this proposal could help newspaper employees personally. Some of us have children who will start looking at colleges before long, and our annual household incomes are generally below the plan’s threshold ($100,000 to start this fall, rising to $125,000 by 2019).

Nevertheless, we’re not sure New York could or should support this.

First, the “could”: We’ll have to wait until the governor releases his proposed 2017-18 state budget to find out how he plans to pay for this entitlement. No one knows for sure how much it would cost. The governor’s office estimates $163 million a year; we would have guessed much more. Existing aid like the Tuition Assistance Program and scholarships would remain in place; the balance would be covered by the governor’s Excelsior Scholarship — which is misnamed since, unlike a real scholarship, it has no merit requirement other than the ability to get accepted into college.

Now the “should”: This proposal leans toward the “college for every student” concept, with which we have problems. College is excellent, but it’s not for everyone. There are all kinds of jobs that need to be done in our society, and yes, many of them require college preparation — but many do not line up with existing college programs. The U.S. is full of college graduates who can’t find jobs in the fields they chose, and yet here in the North Country we hear from employers who struggle to find qualified employees. Adjusting academic programs to fit job markets, adding apprenticeship programs to train people in trades — those might be higher priorities than what the governor is proposing.

If the governor’s proposal is enacted, many high school graduates who might otherwise learn a trade will attend college because it doesn’t cost them anything. The result might be more college students who don’t take classes seriously.

We’re all for true scholarships — rewards for merit in academics, athletics or other areas — and likewise helping students who are truly disadvantaged but show promise in school. Such aid exists now, and if Gov. Cuomo called for lowering tuition, increasing TAP or adding scholarships, we would likely support it. For instance, how about a one-year partial scholarship for making the Dean’s List?

But for many students, having a little skin in the game is a healthy motivation to make college worth their while.

It’s also worth noting that, for four-year colleges, tuition is already lower in New York than in most states. The State University of New York website says the average undergraduate SUNY college tuition for this academic year is $6,470 for in-state students, $16,320 out-of-state. The College Board reports that nationally, the average public four-year college tuition is now $9,650 in-state, $24,950 out-of-state. For private four-year colleges, it’s $33,480.

For two-year community colleges, however, New York’s in-state tuition is higher than average: $4,350 vs. $3,520 nationwide. One reason may be that our state has been shirking its share of the cost of community colleges, which are supposed to be funded one-third by the state, one-third by the sponsor counties and one-third by student tuition. An Albany Times Union report this fall found that the state share has dropped to 26 percent while students are chipping in 42 percent. Gov. Cuomo and the legislature need to rectify that.

Many of our readers have said it’s wrong to call the governor’s proposal “free tuition.” No government service is free, of course; each has a cost that is borne by other people, mostly through taxes. Education is a huge public need, and taxpayers rightly cover the entire cost of what is generally considered a “basic education”: from kindergarten through grade 12, and now pre-kindergarten as well. The understanding is that society believes everyone should have this education and is willing to pay the full cost.

Beyond high school, New York runs dozens of community colleges and universities, and taxpayers cover much, but not all, of the cost. Some states in the past have let students go to state colleges tuition-free, and the City University of New York system used to be that way, too. They aren’t like that anymore because of pressure by taxpayers, but now there’s a new movement in that direction. Tennessee and Oregon have made community colleges tuition-free, and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who accompanied Gov. Cuomo in his announcement last week, made a national tuition-free proposal in his recent presidential campaign.

The real question to ask is this: Are we ready, as a state, to redefine a “basic education” — to say everyone should go to college, too, and that we’ll pay for it?

We’d prefer other fixes first, such as scholarships, apprenticeships, lower tuition and new college programs aligned with modern careers — but those might not make the national headlines Gov. Cuomo wants. Therefore, we can’t help seeing this more as a political answer than a practical one.

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