Excelsior Scholarship program falls short

Dear Editor, While the Excelsior Scholarship is a small relief for the few students who manage to jump through enough hoops to finally get their hands on their promised money, it still fails to cover the majority of student costs, such as housing and food. Tuition is often the cheapest part of a SUNY education and, for students who are already food insecure and struggling to cover housing costs, Excelsior is a drop in the bucket.

A study done by the New York Public Interest Research Group on food insecurity among college students revealed some alarming statistics, which speak to the issue of Excelsior failing to help with housing and food costs. Forty-eight percent% of those surveyed by NYPIRG reported experiencing some type of housing insecurity, and 64 percent were food insecure. Additionally, food insecurity is more prevalent among students of color: “Fiftyseven percent of black or African-American students reported food insecurity, compared to 40 percent of non-Hispanic white students.” Parents’ education also contributed to student struggle; the NYPIRG report found that more than half of all first-generation students were food insecure.

We must demand a policy from New York state that aids students in meeting their most basic needs, food and shelter. Gaining higher education can be very difficult when one has to worry about where they are going to stay and what they are going to eat. We must pressure Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign the Maintenance of Effort Bill, requiring New York state to cover their portion of public education, which will help students pay for college. New York should also come up with a program that aids students who need it to get help with housing and food costs.

Sarah Pulinski Intern with NYPIRG at SUNY

New Paltz New Paltz, N.Y.