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70 Percent of Applicants Rejected by Andrew Cuomo’s Free College Program

70 Percent of Applicants Rejected by Andrew Cuomo’s Free College Program

“pretty modest for a college promise program that basically says every student can attend a public college or university for free”

https://twitter.com/nygovcuomo

Free college programs never seem to work out the way their advocates say they will.

The Washington Examiner reports:

Andrew Cuomo’s free-college program rejected 70 percent of applicants

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D-N.Y., promised to make public college free for many low-income students at public colleges in New York. But now it appears his Excelsior free college program might still be out of reach for many low-income New York residents.

A new report by the Center for an Urban Future found that, of the 633,543 undergraduates enrolled in public colleges across New York State for the 2017-2018 academic year, just 3.2 percent, or roughly 20,000 students, actually received the Excelsior scholarship during the school year.

While the relatively low numbers of students receiving Excelsior money is surprising given that Cuomo essentially promised free public college to middle-class families, these numbers pale in comparison to the extraordinarily high rejection rate for families seeking financial assistance through the Excelsior program. According to the report, of the 63,599 students who applied, 43,513 were rejected, for a roughly 70 percent rejection rate.

According to the authors of the study, the actual numbers of students receiving Excelsior aid are rather low given the initial promises made by Cuomo regarding free public college.

“That’s pretty modest for a college promise program that basically says every student can attend a public college or university for free,” said Tom Hilliard, who is an employee of the Center for an Urban Future and one of the study’s co-authors.

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Comments

“……who is an employee of the Center for an Urban Future and one of the study’s co-authors.”
I first read that as Failure and not Future. Who the heck funds these “centers”?

I see too many “weasel words” here, apparently thrown in for the sole purpose of making Cuomo look like a liar and a jerk.

He really doesn’t need that kind of help. He can be a liar and a jerk without the help of “fake news”.

free college program might still be out of reach for many low-income New York residents

OK, “low income” seems to be part of the deal. In other words, it is not a program of Free Stuff for Everybody.

given that Cuomo essentially promised free public college to middle-class families

Weasel word “essential”. Even in Cuomo-land, “low-income” and “middle-class” are distinct concepts.

that basically says every student can attend a public college or university for free

Weasel word “basically”. [F]ree college . . . for . . . low-income New York residents is a long way from every student can attend a public college or university for free.

    healthguyfsu in reply to tom_swift. | August 27, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    I can understand the sentiment but you might be giving the politician too much credit. He campaigned on this issue, meaning it had to be sold as making a dent in the middle class struggle to pay for education for it to have any political value.

    This is why socialists tend to lose in the long run. They dupe a section of the middle class to be vocal and believe their drivel. Then, when reality sets in they feel duped. Some zealots double down but most will become disillusioned.

    Guy Gadbouis in reply to tom_swift. | August 28, 2018 at 5:59 am

    Cuomo needs no help being a liar and a jerk….

Just another failure by the man who thinks America was never great anyway. He’s just like his lefty father and his idiot brother. What a disgusting family of rats!

Why are we surprised when a leftist lies?