ALBANY – Children of illegal immigrants will not be getting college tuition assistance from New York State.
That after members of the state Senate Monday rejected the “Dream Act.” The 30 to 29 vote was short of the 32 votes needed to pass. There are 63 seats, two are vacant, and two senators did not vote. No Republicans voted for the measure, though all five of their coalition partners in the Independent Democratic Conference voted for it. All but one of the mainline Democrats in the minority voted for the measure.
The proposal includes a budget appropriation of $25 million to open up Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) money for students who are in the country illegally but attend public or private colleges, paying up to $5,000 a year for undergraduates at four-year institutions.
Exactly how many would be eligible for the need-based assistance is unclear, but according to a report issued by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, 8,300 such students in the CUNY and SUNY systems would qualify.
Since it was first introduced three years ago, opponents have argued that using taxpayer money to fund tuition assistance for people in the country illegally takes opportunity and funds away from students who are citizens. New York is among 16 states that already allow those students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges.
The Assembly passed the Dream Act last month. After the vote, Governor Andrew Cuomo released a statement saying he was disappointed that the Senate had failed to pass the measure.
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