The recent cutbacks in SUNY’s state aid is an obvious effect of the suffering economy and the New York State budget deficit.
The resulting call for budget cuts in education are a direct result from the problems of balancing the state budget. However, the outrage over the proposed budget cuts aren’t occurring because the reason for cutbacks are misunderstood and because they would have devastating effects on the SUNY system. The SUNY institution is one that has been able to build its reputation as a premiere provider of public education,while balancing relatively affordable tuition costs and acceptance rates that would give all students an opportunity to excel in academia.
The SUNY budget cuts of a combined $136 million will affect more than just the enrichment programs, such as free newspapers programs, but also various courses offered, the job security of professors and tuition costs. Seeking savings through the budget is understandable in a time of economic instability, but the long term impact of such deep budget cuts in education are much more detrimental to the economy than the current state aid to public universities.
Hand wringing about the children being the future is a tired act, but during a time in which we are lagging behind other nations in technology, isn’t education the very thing we should be making sacrifices for? The 5.85 percent cut in SUNY aid is only a temporary solution to the economic difficulties we face, but in the long run it will hurt local economies as well as New York’s economic recovery.
Students of the SUNY system will be severely affected by this budget cut through the reduction of resources, courses, and qualified professors. However, while the quality of education suffers, SUNY will also lose its ability to admit all qualified students, as class size will inevitably be reduced in the following academic year.
In a blundering economy, state schools have become the fiscally wiser options for many prospective college students and a cut back in the size of incoming classes as well a tuition increase would be a disservice to New York State’s children and the failure of SUNY schools to fulfill their purpose of providing quality and affordable education.
The repercussions of the budget cuts on the financial predicament of students cannot be any better for the economy than a temporarily sound budget with an augmented state of “brain drain” in New York. In order to ensure economic recovery, it is important to invest in the education of students. If the state is having a hard time making a fiscally sound budget, it should consider cutbacks in other agencies rather than public education.