Dive Brief:
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed he is in talks with the White House about affordability of a potential statewide program for free community college, and he has allegedly pledged $500 million to make it happen.
- The New York Post reports the state has among the highest community college tuition in the country, charging students in New York City $4,800 and those outside of the city $4,200.
- Already, the state spends close to $1 billion on tuition assistance, about $235 million of which goes to students at community colleges.
Dive Insight:
Tennessee was the first state to offer community college for free, and President Barack Obama pitched America’s College Promise during his State of the Union address this past January. That program, still just an idea, would require states to pay one-quarter of the cost. Tennessee is in the first year of its program, serving far more students through the last-dollar model than originally projected, creating sudden demand at certain schools and leaving others out. Four-year colleges, now much more expensive overall, are falling out of favor among certain students.