Syracuse University’s tuition is expected to reach $40,380 for the 2014–2015 academic year — a 3.6 percent increase from the 2013-2014 academic year’s tuition. With that, financial aid will see a 3.7 percent increase next year.

But even though SU’s financial aid is expected to increase, some financial aid assistance programs continue to fall far behind.

New York State’s Tuition Assistance Program was put in place to help students afford higher education, but lately it hasn’t been doing that effectively, members of the New York Public Interest Research Group have said.

TAP is a form of statewide financial aid that has not been revised since 2001.

“This year is TAP’s 40th anniversary, and something we say around here at NYPIRG is that it’s time to give TAP a facelift,” said Julia White, NYPIRG project coordinator. “It’s woefully outdated.”

The current cap on grants from TAP is $5,000. NYPIRG members are urging state legislators to increase the cap to $6,500 in response to the rise in tuition at schools in New York.

On the steps of the New York City Hall last Tuesday, about 50 activists from NYPIRG gathered to unveil their platforms for reforming the New York state’s TAP program.

“The tuition increase is so intense compared to TAP being reformed,” White said.

A higher cap on TAP grants is one of six platforms that were revealed at the news conference. Another platform outlines extending TAP to more students, such as undocumented students, who are currently ineligible for assistance under the active criteria.

“The fact that (undocumented students) aren’t eligible for TAP, it’s a social justice issue that we definitely need to pass,” White said.

Currently, White said graduate students, students in default of federal loans and incarcerated students are ineligible for TAP assistance.

NYPIRG members, like White, think that a reform to TAP would help the entire economy, not just individual students.

“From an economy standpoint, it makes more sense if we support (students) through college so they can better the economy as opposed to hindering it,” said NYPIRG member Jeniea Howard, who is also a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.

NYPIRG regional director Ted Traver attended the news conference and said that it took place before the state budget passed to ensure that the issue of making higher education affordable in New York state is fresh in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s mind.

“There are many aspects of this that could make it into the budget,” White said. “That’s why we’re calling (Governor Cuomo) and filling his voicemail box.”

Syracuse NYPIRG members showed support for the reform by calling the governor, since most could not be in New York City for the Tuesday news conference.

“Actually, his voicemail inbox was full (on Monday night) — which I’ve never heard of,” White said. “I’ve been calling the governor for a couple years now for multiple different issues to make sure that my voice is being heard, and generally (that)’s never the case.”

Howard said this made the members of Syracuse NYPIRG even more motivated to push for the cause.

“It got everyone really empowered because it was like, ‘Is this his voicemail?’ It’s so crazy,” Howard said. “It got everyone in motion to actually continue calling every day.”

If Cuomo does not include an update to TAP in his executive budget, NYPIRG members will continue to urge the state legislature to back the reform before the end of the term.

Said White: “It’s really those types of grass-roots movements and taking advantage of rights that we have that put the power behind a platform like TAP reform and make it really successful.”

Published on March 31, 2014 at 1:17 am