Governor Andrew Cuomo is pushing to make New York the first state in the country to adopt a tuition-free plan at both two-year and four-year public colleges.
The Excelsior Scholarship aims to make college more affordable for middle-class New Yorkers by lowering the cost and encouraging students to finish their degrees on time.
“A college education is not a luxury — it is an absolute necessity for any chance at economic mobility,” Cuomo said when the plan was announced.
But “tuition-free” isn’t the same as free.
Though Cuomo’s plan would lower a student’s total bill by up to about $6,000 a year, it could still cost them $14,000 for fees and room and board.
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