During Mario Cuomo's term as Governor state support for SUNY has increased by
nearly 70% and state support for state-operated community colleges has
increased by over 100%.
Governor Cuomo is equally concerned with the CUNY schools, and has increased
state funding by over 60% for CUNY senior colleges and over 120% for CUNY
community college operations during his terms as Governor.
New York's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is the most generous in the
country, helping working class and needy students pay for college. Governor
Cuomo has doubled the average award for students who receive aid from this
program.
Governor Cuomo has invested more than $387 million of state funds in science
and technology projects in higher education. This includes the creation of
Centers for Advanced Technology at 13 universities around the state.
The CUNY and SUNY systems have been given more autonomy to manage their
university's resources and make their own budget decisions with reduced
interference from the state.
The Governor proposed and signed legislation in 1988 to create the Liberty
Scholarship program, a national-first approach to providing higher educational
opportunity to deserving students. This program guarantees that no student who
graduates from high school and wants to move on to college will be denied that
right because they cannot afford it. While fiscal constraints delayed its
implementation, the Liberty Scholarship program is not being funded.
Tuition at our public colleges is lower than all of our northeast neighbors;
our University Centers cost less than other systems' "flagship schools;" and,
we have the greatest number of public colleges in the "Best Buys" list
developed by Money Magazine.
New York institutions award more graduate and professional degrees combined
than any other state in the nation.