Issue Position: Expanding College Opportunity

Issue Position

I have introduced a bill to expand the Excelsior Scholarship program to part-time and vocational students at our State two-year and four-year colleges and BOCES.

Currently, the Excelsior Scholarship program only covers full-time students at SUNY or CUNY schools. This leaves out many students who, for mostly economic reasons, are not able to attend college or training after high school on a full-time basis.

It has become common knowledge that workers will need to retrain a number of times over their lifetime. For most workers, it is unrealistic to go to school full-time since it would mean quitting their jobs. While these workers might want to go to school full-time, their bills will not magically go away. Part-time attendance is the only practical route.

Also, many recent high school graduates cannot afford to go to school full-time, so a part-time option is the only practical route for them as well.

Further, many students will need vocational training and not a two-year or four-year degree. This bill provides for such scholarships at two-year colleges in the SUNY or CUNY system as well as BOCES.

We need to expand the availability of college to expand opportunity. Education is the great equalizer, but only if everyone is able to take advantage.

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