Hundreds expected to protest state’s decision to reallocate tuition dollars to cover budget deficit
WHO:
Hundreds of SUNY Fredonia’s 5,500 undergraduate and graduate students
New York State Senator Catharine Young
SUNY Fredonia President Dennis Hefner
SUNY Fredonia Student Association President Nick Dhimitri
SUNY Fredonia Senior Class President Patrick Horn
WHEN:
Thursday, Feb. 19, at 3:30 p.m.
WHERE:
The multipurpose room in the Williams Center — SUNY Fredonia’s student union.
WHAT:
Student Association President Nick Dhimitri will give remarks and introduce speakers including SUNY
Fredonia President Dennis L. Hefner, New York State Senator Catharine Young, and Senior Class
President Patrick Horn. A question-and-answer session will follow their remarks.
SUNY’s four-year campuses have to date incurred a collective $210 million decrease in state support (a
14% cut — the largest in the state budget). To offset one-third of this cut, the SUNY Board of Trustees
reluctantly raised in-state undergraduate tuition by $310 per student at mid-year. The board was
concerned students would not have access to the classes they need, and directed campuses to use
these dollars to bolster instruction.
However, in a breach of public trust, the state legislature accepted Governor Paterson’s unprecedented proposal to sweep 90% of this tuition increase. No other state in the nation has ever placed a tax on tuition.
Of the additional $310 tuition dollars paid, only $31 went for education expenses, while $279 went to the state — the equivalent of a 900% sales tax! Governor Paterson is also proposing to sweep 80% of the annualized tuition increase next year, which would represent an additional $40 million funding reduction. If these additional cuts are passed, SUNY’s four-year campuses will have received the equivalent of a 25.3% cut in state funding in just two years.
In response to these decisions, Fredonia students are holding a rally to protest the Governor’s and state legislature’s actions. For additional background or to arrange an interview, please contact Lisa Eikenburg, assistant director of editorial services, at 716-673-4754, or call the SUNY Fredonia public relations office at 716-673-3323.
