Senate Announces Statewide Higher Education Hearings

(Albany, NY) The Senate today announced that the Senate Standing Committee on Higher Education will hold a series of public hearings across the state to discuss the cost of public higher education, financial aid programs, state support, TAP/GAP, student borrowing and other challenges to affordability and accessibility. Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Senate Committee on Higher Education, will lead these hearings. The first hearing will take place on October 24 in New York City, with subsequent hearings taking place in Hudson Valley, Western New York, Central New York, and Long Island.

“Too many of our young adults are unable to earn a college degree due to the skyrocketing cost of higher education,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. “Additionally, too many New Yorkers are graduating from college with crippling debt. These public hearings will allow New Yorkers to discuss the challenges they face as they pursue higher education, and will help the Senate Majority address these concerns. I applaud Senator Stavisky for organizing these events and for her commitment to reviewing New York’s higher education programs.”

“The purpose of these hearings is to listen to the higher education community discuss how to make college more accessible, affordable and available,” said Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Higher Education. “Students deserve to graduate with a degree and not massive debt that mortgages their future. Faculty deserves to be paid a fair, living wage. Taxpayers deserve to know their tax dollar is invested wisely. Stakeholders will speak, we will listen and question, and hopefully change will result.”

Public Hearings:

• New York City  – October 24, Brooklyn College, 6th Floor Student Center – Maroon Room, 2705 Campus Road, 11:30 am.
   
• Hudson Valley  – October 28, SUNY New Paltz, Student Union Multipurpose Room, 1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz, New York, 1:00 pm.
   
• Western New York – October 30, SUNY Buffalo, The Center for Tomorrow, 101 Service Center Road, Buffalo, New York, 1:00 pm.
   
• Central New York – October 31, SUNY Oswego Syracuse Campus, The Atrium, Suite 115, 9 Clinton Square, Syracuse, New York, 1:00 pm.
   
• Long Island – November 1, Nassau Community College, College Center Building, 2nd Floor, 1 Education Drive, Garden City, New York, 12:30 pm.

Attendance at the public hearings is open to the public, though oral testimony is by invitation only. Anyone wishing to submit written testimony or comments should send them to Beth LaMountain at: lamounta@nysenate.gov.

The hearings will be live streamed on the Committee’s webpage at: https://www.nysenate.gov/committees/higher-education