cIcu | Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities

UPDATED — July 2, 2010 — Today Gov. Paterson vetoed $49M in restored funding for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Several parts of TAP remain threatened, including a $75 award reduction and the elimination of TAP for graduate students. The veto was among nearly 7,000 that the Governor executed this week.

Right now, a number of future paths are possible, and it remains to be seen what action state legislators will take. Stay tuned.

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June 30, 2010 — Earlier this week, the New York State Legislature again demonstrated its support for college students by voting for a SFY 2010-11 State Budget that funds student aid programs.

Funding for opportunity programs such as HEOP, STEP/CSTEP, and the Liberty Partnerships Program will remain at last year’s levels.

Some restorations of funding for Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and Graduate TAP could be subject to vetoes in the coming days. We will keep you updated if your voice is needed.

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"2010 Outreach and Enrichment Programs" for junior or high school age students is now available from the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU). Complete with a program description, dates, age range for participants, and college contacts, the booklet catalogues hundreds of summer learning opportunities.

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"With demand for state student aid at an all-time high, the Executive Budget released today puts an obstacle in the path for thousands of low- and moderate-income New Yorkers enrolled at colleges and universities in the state. By reducing the maximum TAP grant and eliminating Grad TAP, students will lose an essential source of assistance for meeting current college expenses."

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The federal government recently unveiled a simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid. A new report from the Institute for College Access and Success suggests, though, that students still face considerable difficulty after they have filled out the form. The report,"After the FAFSA," finds that some students apply for federal Pell Grants but never receive them because their applications get bogged down after being"flagged" for further review. Once flagged, applications are more likely to go unfinished.

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Thanks to a new law that took effect this month, colleges must release required book lists at the time of class registration. Publishers must disclose prices and revision information to schools. Proponents say the law will give students more time to take advantage of textbook buy-back programs, book rentals and prices that are often lower online than in college bookstores. They expect it will also force professors to pay more attention to the cost of books they assign.

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Just a few hours after the U.S. Department of Education released the full text of its proposed regulations to define"gainful employment" last Friday, two groups that rarely weigh in on education issues circulated news releases expressing concern that the rule would limit minority students' access to postsecondary education. Arnold Mitchem, president of the Council for Opportunity in Education doubts that the groups independently became concerned about these issues -- and he's right.

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