Discussions of America’s student debt crisis and increasingly unaffordable college costs are primarily centered on minor reforms in student loan interest rates. Such proposals are sensible and would significantly reduce the debt burdens faced by many college graduates. However, these proposals fail to target the institutional issues at the root of the rapidly increasing college costs.
Rising SUNY tuition costs must be viewed under the broader scope of public school underfunding. Over the past few decades, local school districts have had to contend with continual cuts in state aid to public schools. Complaints of underfunding, understaffing and inadequate services are nearly unanimous among New York state parents, teachers and students. Additionally, local school funding produces massive inequalities among school districts, as oftentimes wealthier districts collect more in tax revenue and can therefore provide better schools. Cuts in state aid also force local governments to raise property taxes, increasing the burden on taxpayers irrespective of their ability to pay.
The privatization of higher education will require New York to restore its formerly progressive tax structure and create a state bank. These reforms are necessary to implement a tuition-free SUNY and CUNY education system that guarantees higher education to all New Yorkers. State cuts to education closely follow drastic changes in New York state tax structure, which began in the 1970s. It is estimated that restoration of the more progressive tax structure would provide nearly 30 billion dollars in increased revenue as well as tax cuts for 95 percent of New Yorkers. A state bank would enable the state to collect interest on the money it spends and lends when it finances public projects.
While most people dismiss the idea of a tuition-free SUNY and CUNY system as impossibly expensive, it is clear that methods for increasing state revenue clearly exist. What is absent is the political willpower and organized political pressure from those affected by the erosion of New York’s public school system.
In January, Assemblyman James Skoufis (D-Woodbury) introduced a Tuition-Free NY bill to the state legislature. This bill would allow students to participate in a free tuition program in exchange for 250 hours of community service for each year they participate, and for a promise to reside and work in New York state for at least five years after the completion of their degree. While this proposal is certainly more promising than the current system of massive student loan debt, it fails to accept the basic logic of public education; that it is a human right and should not require qualifications. Such qualifications are only necessary when the larger picture of a just tax policy and increasing state revenue are ignored.
Achieving tuition-free higher education is a lofty goal. It is essential to remember that the current funding crisis is the result of continual, systemic policy decisions by the state government to increase costs for students rather than change existing tax loopholes. Under current management, costs are increased and services are cut. A more just education system is possible. Nearly every developed country in the world offers free or significantly cheaper, higher education options to its students. But tuition-free education will only become a reality if students, parents and educators organize to expand access and quality for all.