2008 Woodie Awards
Gov. David Paterson proposes 14 percent tuition hike
Paterson's possible plan calls for a $600 raise in SUNY tuition
Zach Bradt
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: News
Originally published: 11/13/08 at 5:47 PM EST
Last update: 11/14/08 at 9:06 AM EST
New York State Gov. David Paterson's $5.2 billion, two-year deficit reduction plan would create a 14-percent increase in SUNY and CUNY undergraduate tuition.
In an effort to close a $1.5 billion current-year budget deficit, the governor proposed increasing tuition $300 for the spring semester and $600 for the next academic year.
Spring 2009 tuition would go from $2,175 to $2,475. Next year, tuition would swell from $4,350 to $4,950.
An Albany meeting is scheduled Tuesday, Nov. 18, for Legislature to approve the proposed deficit plan that would cut a total of $348 million over this year and next year.
The mid-session increase would slash $2 billion from the current 2008-09 fiscal year spending and $3.2 billion from next year's budget deficit, cutting next year's projected deficit by $3.7 billion. The four-year budget would shrink from $47 billion to $35.9 billion.
The reduction plan, which is to entirely eliminate this year's shortfall, is intended to protect
against further declines in revenue in "a volatile economic climate," according to a press release from the governor's office.
"The unfortunate reality is that many worthy programs with laudable goals, some of which I have supported in the past, will have to experience reductions in funding," Paterson said in the release.
Plattsburgh State is still absorbing the impact, said Brendan Kinney, associate vice president for institutional advancement.
He said, "We're still in the process of digesting the governor's proposal…when trying to digest the proposal, we have to try to understand how it will affect the campus."
SUNY and CUNY school systems would be permitted to keep 10 percent of generated revenue from the 2008-09 spring semester increase and 20 percent of the full annual increase in the 2009-10 school year.
Keith Tyo, executive assistant to the president's office, said the school is waiting to confer with both President Ettling and Vice President of Business Affairs John Homburger, who were out of town and unavailable to comment.
In an effort to close a $1.5 billion current-year budget deficit, the governor proposed increasing tuition $300 for the spring semester and $600 for the next academic year.
Spring 2009 tuition would go from $2,175 to $2,475. Next year, tuition would swell from $4,350 to $4,950.
An Albany meeting is scheduled Tuesday, Nov. 18, for Legislature to approve the proposed deficit plan that would cut a total of $348 million over this year and next year.
The mid-session increase would slash $2 billion from the current 2008-09 fiscal year spending and $3.2 billion from next year's budget deficit, cutting next year's projected deficit by $3.7 billion. The four-year budget would shrink from $47 billion to $35.9 billion.
The reduction plan, which is to entirely eliminate this year's shortfall, is intended to protect
against further declines in revenue in "a volatile economic climate," according to a press release from the governor's office.
"The unfortunate reality is that many worthy programs with laudable goals, some of which I have supported in the past, will have to experience reductions in funding," Paterson said in the release.
Plattsburgh State is still absorbing the impact, said Brendan Kinney, associate vice president for institutional advancement.
He said, "We're still in the process of digesting the governor's proposal…when trying to digest the proposal, we have to try to understand how it will affect the campus."
SUNY and CUNY school systems would be permitted to keep 10 percent of generated revenue from the 2008-09 spring semester increase and 20 percent of the full annual increase in the 2009-10 school year.
Keith Tyo, executive assistant to the president's office, said the school is waiting to confer with both President Ettling and Vice President of Business Affairs John Homburger, who were out of town and unavailable to comment.
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