With New York poised to start offering a tuition-free college education for some students, public colleges may be worth a closer look.
New York lawmakers approved the tuition initiative this weekend as part of the state budget. Under the plan — which New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proposed in January — the state will supplement aid for in-state residents whose families earn $125,000 or less, providing tuition-free education at all state public two- and four-year colleges.
(Tennessee and Oregon both have programs offering free tuition at two-year community colleges.)
"Today, college is what high school was—it should always be an option even if you can't afford it," Gov. Cuomo said in a statement on the program's inclusion in the state budget. "The Excelsior Scholarship will make college accessible to thousands of working and middle class students and shows the difference that government can make."
