PAUL MCBREEN

Charles Barron, the chair of the Higher Education Committee of the New York City Council, proudly announced that the purpose of the Tuesday, October 21 meeting was to re-initiate the dialogue about a return to a tuition-free CUNY system. Not since 1982 has the feasibility of such a system been studied by the City Council.

The city first imposed tuition on CUNY students in 1976 during one of the worst economic crises the city had ever seen. Increases occurred gradually, reflecting the tumultuous fiscal times experienced by both the city and nation, according to Ernesto Malave, CUNY’s Vice Chancellor for Budget and Finance, who took part in the discussion at City Hall. Barron wondered aloud why tuition stayed in place after the economy recovered. He also wondered if racism played a part in the decisions to impose tuition at a time when CUNY’s student population began to include more Blacks and Latinos.

Undergraduate students from various CUNY schools spoke at the meeting, mostly testifying to the difficulties experienced by students who must work to support themselves while seeking higher education. A few students from the Graduate Center spoke, including Celia Braxton, a member to the Doctoral Students’ Council steering committee. It was heartening to see a room full of concerned CUNY students aware of current political processes.

The President of CUNY’s Professional Staff Congress, Barbara Bowen, said a return to CUNY’s original mission would bring a moral, political and intellectual reward. She offered figures that showed the hundreds of millions of dollars that would be needed in the absence of tuition at CUNY. (For her complete testimony see the following page on the PSC-CUNY website: www.psc-cuny.org/FreeTuition.htm).

Both Bowen and Barron pointed to the collection of smaller assistance and scholarship programs that the state provides and suggested that these funds, if put directly into the CUNY budget, would offset a large portion of the fiscal gap if tuition were dropped. Bowen assessed this gap at $388 million. She suggested that a task force be created with students, union members and City Council officials to keep alive the issue of no tuition at CUNY.

The CUNY population is large enough to wield significant political power. Bowen states, The issue is not money but political will: if we as a city and state have the political will to restore free tuition at CUNY, then free tuition can be restored. Bowen reminded those present that since 1990 CUNY has suffered a 40% decrease in public funding. A major goal of a potential task force could be not only free tuition, but an overall political movement aimed at re-establishing public funding for public education as a top priority. Echoing Councilman Barron, Bowen also claimed that the racist politics of imposing barriers to college students is unmistakable.

Councilman Barron assured the gathering that the meetings of the Higher Education Committee will continue and in the future be held on CUNY campuses. Members of the City Council appeared eager to take this matter to the public.