TAP Us In
As a graduate student at SUNY Empire State University, I find myself buried under a mountain of student loans, totaling $44k and growing. Balancing two jobs just to keep up with payments, the pursuit of further education feels like a journey down a path of ever-increasing debt and spiraling anxiety. Graduate students like myself are offered limited financial aid options, mainly federal student loans with exorbitant interest rates. It’s akin to a recurring dream where reaching your destination feels perpetually out of reach. Despite our tireless efforts to excel academically, we’re ultimately faced with the overwhelming stress of graduating with a substantial debt burden looming over us. During my tenure in the SUNY Student Assembly, I’ve heard numerous accounts from fellow graduate students grappling with similar financial challenges. One particularly poignant story comes to mind: a student living an hour away from campus, sharing a cramped one-bedroom apartment with five roommates. Juggling full-time classes and employment, they often struggled to afford basic necessities like food despite their relentless dedication to their education. Despite their pleas for assistance, the university administration failed to provide meaningful support, leaving them feeling abandoned and desperate. Their pursuit of a degree came at a steep cost to their mental and physical well-being, highlighting a systemic issue affecting countless graduate students across SUNY universities. However, there’s a solution within reach: expanding the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) to include graduate students. By affording us access to affordable education, we can pursue our degrees without crippling debt, thereby empowering us to contribute to the workforce, stimulate the economy, and remain in New York post-graduation. Currently, many students are forced to leave the state in search of more affordable living arrangements, exacerbating the brain drain and hindering New York’s long-term economic prospects. By investing in students today, we can cultivate a cycle of prosperity, ensuring future generations have access to quality education and the opportunity to thrive within the state. Let’s seize this opportunity to be the catalyst for positive change, paving the way for a brighter future for all New Yorkers. Gabrielle (Gabby) Lerner is a Graduate Student at Empire State University pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.