Albany – The Student Assembly of The State University of New York (SUNYSA) advocates for almost half a million students that attend the 64 campuses throughout the state. Making student loans more manageable has been a priority issue for the SUNYSA Executive Committee. As such, SUNYSA is in support of Governor Cuomo’s announcement of “Get on Your Feet Loan Forgiveness Program.” This program will not only assist students with the burden of student loans it also encourages graduates to remain in New York.
“The Student Assembly has long advocated for a substantive response to the increasingly serious issue of student loan debt. The governor’s new program is an aggressive move to address what has turned into a debt crisis: $1.2 trillion dollars nationally and counting, with the average New York graduate walking away with nearly $30,000 in high interest indebtedness” states Lori Mould, SUNYSA president. “In addition, we are thrilled to see that our dialogue is being taken seriously and we wholeheartedly support this and similar initiatives.”
For students meeting the following qualifying criteria, New York State will pay the first two years of student loan repayment:
. Attend college in New York
. Continue to live in New York after graduation
. Participate in the federal Pay As You Earn (PAYE) loan repayment program
. Earn less than $50,000 per year
SUNYSA Director of Government Relations, Rey Muniz, III, has been working on the issue of student loan affordability and states, “The fact that student loan debt has reached such a critical point is a travesty in and of itself. Students are investments not profits and that is something that the governor recognizes in this program. We cannot continue to saddle the up and coming generation with crippling debt; we have to give them a fighting chance. That is precisely what the governor is saying and students everywhere support and appreciate that message.”
