Tell Governor Cuomo to Invest in College Education for 500,000 CUNY Students

Governor Andrew Cuomo

The City University of New York has seen a dramatic growth in enrollment over the last decade, as more low- and moderate-income New Yorkers rely on CUNY for a top-quality education they can afford. CUNY is a lifeline for working-class New Yorkers and people of color; three-quarters of CUNY undergraduates are Latino, Black or Asian. But Governor Cuomo has refused to restore the 14% of State funding that CUNY has lost since the 2008 recession. Instead, he has kept per-student funding essentially flat and failed to invest in support for the faculty and staff. Cuomo promised that higher tuition would allow CUNY to “add faculty, reduce class size, expand program offerings, and improve academic performance,” but instead it has gone to fill the state funding gap. Tell Governor Cuomo that austerity for CUNY hurts all of New York. Now is the time to invest in CUNY and its faculty and staff.

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To: Governor Andrew Cuomo
From: [Your Name]

I urge you to end your refusal to provide the investment needed in the 500,000 students who rely on CUNY for a college education. It is time to stop starving CUNY. Invest in CUNY students by restoring State funding and providing the funds necessary to retain and attract excellent faculty and staff.