The Senate Majority is standing up for middle class families. 

While Governor Cuomo and Assembly Democrats are once again pushing to see the state budget include the DREAM Act – legislation making illegal immigrants eligible for college financial aid programs like the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) – the Senate Majority’s budget proposal flatly rejects this measure.

Instead of expanding TAP to illegal immigrants, the Senate’s budget seeks to expand TAP to more middle class families by increasing the program’s income eligibility threshold from $80,000 to $100,000.  Our plan also includes a new state income tax exemption for student loan interest, increases the college tuition itemized deduction threshold, and doubles the maximum amount of the college tuition tax credit.

These are the kinds of measures we should be pushing for in the state budget, not taxpayer funded tuition breaks for illegal immigrants.