The New York State Senate

University of New York's Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)
and Accelerate, Complete, Engage (ACE) program. Each year thereafter,
the State shall increase such funding amount by 25% until the full fund-
ing (100%) of both programs are fully funded. The maximum amount of
total funding per year by 2023 shall not exceed $150 million dollars.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The City University of New York has deployed a set of student success
programs at its two year and four year colleges with tremendous success.
In fact, its community college Accelerated Study in Associate Programs
(ASAP) has become a national model for student success based on its
ability to increase college graduation rates dramatically.

CUNY's Accelerate, Complete, Engage (ACE) program is another successful
program increasing college complete rates and available at a few of
CUNY's four-year colleges.

Both programs are offered on a limited scale based on cost even though
their proven success rates are a tremendous asset to both CUNY and the
economy of New York City and its metropolitan area. Increasing college
graduation rates to almost 55% over 3 years at two-year colleges and
helping student graduate within four years at its senior colleges, these
CUNY programs are being replicated in other states and cities and
adequately funded by their governments.

CUNY is the largest municipal college system in the nation with a
student body that is 78% minority and immigrants. Increasing college
success rates and reducing the time to acquire a college degree has two
tremendously positive effects: First, it reduces the financial costs of
a college education on the student and secondly, it accelerates entrance
into the labor market for a very large groups of students who are work-
ing to escape poverty and low-income status.

As the national unemployment rate has now dipped to 3.8% and sooner than
the 2019 forecast by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the labor market in New
York city and state is in high need of workers and workers with a
college degree. It is obvious based on the success of these two programs
and the realities of our current labor market that fully funding college
success programs is a wise investment with huge returns on investment
for the individual, society and the economy.  CUNY's college success
programs are proven to work in achieving all of the above and should be
expanded to help all its students.

At a time when the national college debt has reached $1.5 trillion
dollars and 2.3 million New Yorkers owe over $80 billion in student
debt, accelerating college completion is a factor in reducing student
debt as well.

This legislation begins the process of strengthening CUNY, our labor
force and our economy. It is a wise investment and needed at a time when
China, Western Europe and other Asian countries are pouring billions
into their higher education systems to become more globally competitive
and dominant.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New legislation

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

$35 million beginning fiscal year 2019-2020 and increasing to $150
million per year beginning 2023-24 fiscal year.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take place immediately.