Private college presidents talk aid: Editorial Spotlight

Mercy College President Timothy Hall put it this way: "Free is a hard word to get around."

Hall was among a group of private college presidents who joined a Feb. 15 Editorial Board meeting to discuss Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "Excelsior Scholarship" proposal. The plan would help cover the tuition bill at public SUNY, CUNY and community colleges for students whose families make under $125,000.

The plan would hardly cover the cost of college — it only provides aid for tuition, which is about a third of a SUNY college bill that includes room, board, books and fees. But the concept of "free" tuition, college presidents say, could make a strong impression on prospective students who would otherwise decide that a private college is their best fit.

Independent colleges go out of their way to support working-class and nontraditional students. New York's private nonprofit colleges supplied $5.1 billion worth of financial aid to students in 2014-2015, said Mary Beth Labate, president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, which represents more than 100 private schools in New York.

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Pace University President Stephen Friedman said Cuomo's plan shouldn't create a "public vs. private" atmosphere. "This is really all about the student." A recent national study ranked Pace No. 2 for upward mobility — that is, the number of students who came from the bottom fifth of income and end up in the top three-fifths.

Private college leaders say New York's Tuition Assistance Program should be the vehicle for increasing access to all colleges. TAP eligibility is now limited to $80,000 income, and awards are capped at $5,165 per student, per year. Assembly Republicans have proposed, as an alternative to Cuomo's plan, increasing TAP eligibility $125,000 and the max award to $6,470, which jibes with SUNY tuition.

"Any move to limit choice...is a move in the wrong direction," said Iona College's Joseph Nyre. His opinion: "You should be able to choose your doctor and I think you should be able to choose your college."

Adding to the tension: Cuomo's Excelsior plan would also yank TAP funding for students attending private colleges that increase their tuition by $500 or more a year, or more than the higher education rate of inflation. Students at independent colleges and universities received $220 million in TAP funds in 2014-15, according to CICU.

"We're all concerned' about college affordability," said Nyre.

The presidents also argued that Cuomo's plan would drive up applications to public colleges, requiring either building to accommodate more students or more selective admissions.

Campus vibe

The presidents at these small campuses offered profiles of their students that included first-generation college attendees, people of color, people from working-class backgrounds and immigrant students, along with foreign nationals.

The concerns of the two latter groups, in the current climate, had caught several presidents' attention.

About 8.1 percent of Manhattanville's student body is made up of international students, President Michael Geisler said. "They contribute a lot to diversity and globalization" on campus, he said. He said President Trump's executive order instituting a temporary travel ban for people from seven nations has created "a general fear among our international faculty." He and others said students from other countries were also concerned, anticipating changes that would affect other countries' citizens.

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Pace's Friedman said the current climate is "extremely dangerous and un-American" and imperils international recruiting. "Frankly, if I were a parent ... I wouldn't send my student."

Several college leaders cited students who were part of a federal program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, for people who have undocumented status, but were brought to the country as children. Dominican College President Mary Eileen O'Brien said her students are increasingly worried.

Hall said that two-thirds of Mercy's students are people of color. "They believe that the college itself is a safe place."

The panel

College presidents from the Lower Hudson Valley region joined a Feb. 15 Editorial Board meeting to discuss college affordability and other issues that impact higher education. Participants included:

• Stephen Friedman, president of Pace University, based in New York City, White Plains and Pleasantville.
• Michael Geisler, president of Manhattanville College.
• Timothy Hall, president of Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry.
• Joseph Nyre, president of Iona College in New Rochelle.
• Sr. Mary Eileen O'Brien, president of Dominican College in Orangeburg.
• Mary Beth Labate, president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York.