Make CUNY Free As City Recovers From Coronavirus: Comptroller

NEW YORK CITY — Free tuition for CUNY community collee students could be on the post-coronavirus horizon if a proposal by city Comptroller Scott Stringer gains traction.

Stringer released the free college proposal this week as part of a larger workforce development plan for New York City. His proposals call for expanding career and technical education, beefing up apprenticeships, paid internships and subsidized wage programs and developing job training program with private companies, among many others.

Many of Stringer’s proposals hinge around the CUNY system.

“CUNY is essential to any workforce development strategy in New York City — which means it is vital to our City’s economic recovery,” he said in a statement. “The pandemic exposed inequities in our economy and worsened the longstanding gaps in our social safety net. While some sectors of our workforce have the tools, resources and career flexibility to work remotely, many New York City jobs and careers have been derailed and debilitated by the economic shutdown. As we work to recover and rebuild, we must address these gaps and ensure that New York City’s workforce is strong and ready to take on the opportunities and challenges of the post-COVID, 21st century global economy.”

The proposal unfolded against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, which experts say has exacerbated existing economic inequities.

A robust and inclusive recovery from the coronavirus crisis is only possible with an equally robust and inclusive CUNY, Stringer’s proposal states.

“At a cost of approximately $135 million, the State should introduce a true, K-14 education model that firmly recognizes the fundamental importance of higher education in today’s economy, making CUNY community colleges free for all local students,” the proposal states.

Stringer is one of several candidates running for mayor in the 2021 election.

Read the proposal here.