Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) is calling on the governor to rethink his efforts to strong-arm the legislature into passing an item of controversial policy know as the DREAM Act. The governor is taking an all-or-nothing approach and linking it to the critically-important state Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

“Higher education for New York students is becoming increasingly more expensive and unattainable for some, and the fact that the governor is holding TAP funds hostage is alarming and disheartening,” said Blankenbush. “The budget isn’t the place to have these highly-charged political discussions at the cost of the 400,000 college students in need of our support.”

Over the last 10 years, the cost of tuition and fees at four-year colleges has increased by over 47 percent, according to the College Board. Additionally, the average college student in New York owes more than $26,000 upon graduation.

The Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) has reported that nearly $940 million in TAP funding was distributed to college students in 2014. The program, which was created in 1974, has helped over five million New York college students.

“A higher education is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity in order to compete in this new, global economy, which is why we need to protect TAP,” said Blankenbush.