After weeks of discontent among students over the governor’s veto of adequate higher education spending, the New York State Senate voted yesterday to reinstate these formerly-proposed cuts.

“This year’s legislative budget is the best budget we’ve seen for higher education in many years with restorations and enhancements to financial aid programs as well as increased funding for the state’s colleges and universities,” said Miriam Kramer, Government Policy Analyst for NYPIRG.

Funding restored includes nearly $120 million for TAP, $56.6 million for SUNY operating assistance, including $25 million to bolster the amount of full-time faculty, in addition to over $500 million for programs relating to the CUNY system.

The Republican-controlled senate’s decisions to defy the governor comes just days after the assembly voted to restore these cuts. The governor had previously intimated that he would challenge the state legislature legally, but has allowed at least the higher education restorations to remain.