New York Students Protest State Budget Cuts

Date: 3/25/2009 4:52 pm

College students from private and public schools across the state of New York joined together to protest Governor David Paterson’s proposed plan to increase tuition for state-funded universities and to cut public education budgets by $2 million in the upcoming fiscal year. The state is facing a monstrous $14 billion deficit and as state legislators struggle to find ways to cut costs, students are fighting for affordable education. Students from the State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY) systems protested together this week, rallying on campus and making phone calls to Governor Paterson and other elected officials. Their joint effort came on the heels of a protest earlier this month outside of City Hall, organized by One New York, a coalition of over 75 organizations. Thousands attended the protest, including students and faculty from CUNY and New York University. Beyond tuition hikes and budget cuts for public universities, state cuts also jeopardize the state and federal grants that NYU depends on each year. Duncan Meisel, a senior at NYU who attended the rally, said, “I think the message of [NYU] and CUNY is the same. You can’t fund a school all on the backs of students.”