New York Governor Kathy Hochul is scheduled today to announce a plan to offer free tuition to state and city colleges for students pursuing associates degrees in certain high-demand fields.
The governor is set to debut the proposal during her “State of the State Addresswhich she will detail her agenda for the state’s ongoing legislative session.
Hochul’s office said the program would cover New York residents between the ages of 25 and 55 who enroll in associate degree programs in nursing, teaching, technology, engineering and other fields at colleges operated by the State University of New York and the City University of New York.
State lawmakers from Central New York, advocacy groups and policy experts called Hochul’s plan to spend $3 billion on “inflation refund” checks for taxpayers a misguided proposal that won’t bring down the cost of living in one of the most expensive states in America.
