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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

NYS Budget and Community Colleges—An Update


For a second straight year, the New York state legislature passed a budget by the April 1 deadline. As you likely have heard, Governor Pataki has vetoed portions of that legislative budget, including portions that are important to higher education. This week, legislators return from their spring recess and will discuss overriding the Governor’s vetoes.

Let me take a moment to update you on where the state budget stands on the funding priorities I outlined to you earlier this year.

Community College Base Aid. The Governor included a $100/FTE increase in the budget he proposed in January. The legislature added $75/FTE, bringing next year’s base aid rate to $2,525. The community college presidents had hoped to reach $2,600/FTE – bringing us close to the one-third funding model – but we are pleased with the legislature’s and the Governor’s support.

Supplemental Aid for High-Need Programs. New York’s community colleges requested an additional $200/FTE in supplemental aid for enrollments in high cost technical and allied health programs. These programs cost more to offer than liberal arts programs, due to the high cost of equipment, and required smaller class sizes. The legislature had included $1.8 million in the budget for these programs; the Governor vetoed the funds.

Technology Funding. We had asked the legislature to add $25 million so that SUNY and CUNY community colleges could update technology to “state-of-the-practice” levels. The legislature did not include the funds in its budget.

Tuition Assistance Program. The Governor rejected the changes that the legislature made to his TAP plan, thereby placing greater financial and academic burdens on TAP recipients unless the legislature overrides the Governor’s veto. As you may recall, the Governor’s plan included defining full-time students as those taking 15 credits/semester and requiring colleges to pre-finance TAP awards for students who do not have a high school diploma or a GED, among other provisions.

When we have a final state budget, watch the MCC Daily Tribune for a summary of its impact on MCC and our students. In the meantime, if you would like to communicate your thoughts on the state budget to state legislators, please see the Tuesday, April 18, Tribune announcement, “Impact of Governor’s Vetoes on SUNY.”

R. Thomas Flynn
President
04/24/2006