New York Becomes First State To Offer Free College
For the first time in history, a state is offering free college for residents and of course, it’s New York. New York will be the only state in the country to offer universal public college tuition coverage for working- and middle-class residents after the program was included in the budget package approved Sunday night, according to NBC.
New York State’s governor Cuomo said college is as essential as high school today, and had more to say about the state’s offer to provide free education to applicants:
“With this budget, New York has the nation’s first accessible college program. It’s a different model,” said Governor Cuomo. “Today, college is what high school was—it should always be an option even if you can’t afford it. The Excelsior Scholarship will make college accessible to thousands of working and middle class students and shows the difference that government can make. There is no child who will go to sleep tonight and say, I have great dreams, but I don’t believe I’ll be able to get a college education because parents can’t afford it. With this program, every child will have the opportunity that education provides.”
Many states now participate in programs that offer grants to college students. This will be the first only universally free program that offers education.
Wow, we thought we would never see the day! About time.
