FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13th, 2022
Contact: Juan Ramiro Sarmiento
(785) 760-6567 | JuanRamiro.sarmiento@younginvincibles.org
Governor Hochul’s Support for Higher Education A Step in The Right Direction
Some College Affordability Concerns Addressed, New York’s Young Voices Want Comprehensive Basic Needs & Equity Policies
(New York, NY) – On January 5th, Governor Kathy Hochul gave her first State of the State Address, which along with historic investments in health care, included some plans to protect student loan borrowers. Among the higher education proposals included were:
- Ending “transcript withholding” at SUNY and CUNY
- Investing in student loan debt assistance programs
- Automating Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for NY State employees
- Increasing the share of New Yorkers with a college degree to two-thirds by 2030
- Plan to Revitalize SUNY and increase equity
In particular, YI’s New York Team has been advocating for the past 2 years to permanently end the harmful debt collection process of transcript withholding. They look forward to working with Governor Hochul, her administration, state legislators, and our network of partner organizations to give young adult voices a seat at the table and expand equitable opportunities for all young New Yorkers to complete a postsecondary degree or credential without taking on onerous debt, gain wealth-building employment, and access comprehensive health care, mental health services, and basic needs resources. Among other policy priorities, YI-NY is advocating for The New Deal for CUNY, which would open doors to degrees for millions of young New Yorkers and make New York City’s public college system the global leader in social mobility.
Sean Henry Miller, Northeast Regional Director for Young Invincibles issued the following statement:
“As the Covid-19 global pandemic surges and continues to exacerbate systemic barriers for New Yorkers, the challenges facing young adults are growing larger than ever. Higher education costs, youth unemployment, health care affordability, mental health challenges, and rent prices are rising dramatically. We too must rise to meet these huge challenges with bolder ideas and more equitable policies that will expand economic security, basic needs resources, and comprehensive systems of support for all young New Yorkers.”
Lisa Nishimura, YI-New York Engagement Coordinator responded:
“Stopping transcript withholding for CUNY and SUNY students is an important step towards greater college opportunity and equity, however, the root causes of the student debt crisis, including skyrocketing tuition and fees, must also be addressed.”
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