Assemblywoman
Addie J. Russell announced that as part of its commitment to higher education
the Assembly budget proposal includes increased funding for critical capital
projects at North Country colleges and increased base aid to community colleges
(E.914).
The budget includes $7 million in
matching funds for Jefferson Community College’s Collaborative Learning Center.
The project, which has secured $7 million in county funds, would be a facility
where students could access library materials, computers, smart boards,
counseling services and tutoring.
The budget also doubles vital capital
funding for SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton for improvements in infrastructure,
enabling them to address several additional projects on campus.
“If we want to attract the best and
the brightest to North Country colleges, it is vital that we make the necessary
investments in facilities that attract students from around the state to our
region,” Assemblywoman Russell said. “This budget provides a strong foundation
for the future of North Country colleges and ensures our students have the
proper environment in which to learn.”
Additionally, the Assembly budget also
increases base aid to SUNY community colleges by $50 per full-time equivalent (FTE)
student, bringing the total to $2,472 per FTE student, the third increase in a
row.
“Community colleges play a vital role in
our community and have been suffering under years of budget cuts just like our
elementary and secondary schools,” Assemblywoman Russell said. “This budget
restores the critical base aid that holds down tuition and county support, keeping
community college an affordable option for so many working families.”
“We know that our colleges are an
important driver of our knowledge bases economy,” Assemblywoman Russell said.
“Securing this funding is one of my top priorities so that the North Country
can benefit to the fullest extent possible from this academic work.”
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