I am a junior getting aAnthropology/Media Studies/Philosophy BA at Purchase College. I work three jobs at school to help my parents pay for my education. My mom and dad also work multiple jobs. I get a scholarship from my Mom’s job, and the steaks are super high to maintain. This means I have to balance three jobs, an internship, and receiving high marks in all my classes which has been one of the most challenging things about attending college. I have experienced issues with affording the non-tution costs of getting my college education. For my majors there are many events off campus we need to attend such as museums, lectures at other colleges, and many books we are required to read. There is a push for professors to use the library’s course reserve where PDF’s can be published and printed. Some professors just refuse to use this resource which is incredibly frustrating because they will require multiple books only available on amazon. I have many required classes that I need to graduate but they meet at the same time every semester. Also many of my professors take leaves, or are spread too thin in their department due to adjunct professors not getting paid livable wages.At my school many of the buildings do not have proper heat or air conditioning, and the President will simply tell us to bundle up. Tiles are missing on pathways, and there are windows that have been broken for several semesters now. I am a tour-guide at Purchase and honestly it can be embarrassing to show aspects of the school that administration refuses to deal with.

I am a sophomore studying Health Science at Queensborough Community College. I pay for college out of pocket myself and do not receive any form of TAP and the cost has been one of the biggest challenges on campus for me. The class options are also very low, and trying to get in touch with advisement is hard and sometimes takes up to 3 hours just to see someone. The state of the campus is also really bad with elevators that never work. Please make CUNY free!

My name is Chris Rocco, I graduated from Purchase College in December of 2015, and am still paying off my student loans. After 8 years, I have barely put a dent in the loan and will most likely be paying for the next decade or more. The cost of tuition in the US is astronomical, and there is no guarantee of a career after graduating. I know many people who barely make ends meet and struggle paying off their loans, and others who didn’t go to college just so that they could avoid the debt that carries over. There are thousands of people in the US who do not have the privilege of attending college due to the high cost associated with it, and it is limiting their potential and preventing them from opportunities. While others are stricken in student loan debt because the schools encourage them to “follow their dreams”. The system is flawed and must be changed.

I am a sophomore and Language and Culture major, and I believe that higher education can benefit from being free given the high costs of essentials like food, care products, opportunities like study abroad programs and classes with certain fees, such as Art + Design courses. My decision to attend Purchase rested significantly on its close proximity to New York City, and I feel like that convenience can be greatly expanded on with more affordable higher education. This way, more students can discover their potential without financial barriers. Secondary education should be a right, not a privilege.

I am a sophomore Political Sciences Major. After graduating I want to get a master’s and a PHD to become a professor. The price of tuition was one of the obstacles that I faced to go back to school. For me, as an immigrant being here by myself, the dream of achieving higher education had to be on hold for more than 4 years, so I could save enough money to be able to afford it, since I could not apply for financial aid. This situation affects many of the population, but especially Latinos and African Americans. If the education was free and funded, I could have already graduated and become one step forward to following my dream. Unaffordable higher education hurts the racialized and marginalized population, a lot of times keeping us in the poverty cycle. I believe in a high quality and free higher education for all.

I am Maurysha Cuttino. I am a senior at Suny Cortland hoping to pursue my degree in Professional Writing. I am from Tully NY, and my Assembly Member is John Lemondes and my Senator is Rachel May. I chose a SUNY school for many reasons, mostly for cost and distance. 

Though SUNY schools are cheaper they are still a lot of money and put people in a lot of debt. I am a future step-parent, and do help take care of my significant other’s kids. I am always worrying about money problems from school and other costs. I even ran into an issue this semester involving a single class and the possibility I may have to come out of pocket for it. I want to obtain my degree in hopes to develop a better career for myself as well as live my dream. I wish schools were free for those with less money or no family help. I know I could do so much better within classes and school without having to worry about if I’ll have enough money for coal, or if I need to miss a day of class to work an extra shift.

Because of costs and financial concerns, I never got the true college experience that most have in movies. I never got the sports or club experience due to the fact I had to make a living. I work full time overnights in addition to being a student. I think people don’t realize that there is a lot of money going into attending school, such as gas, rent and other priorities. Even food is expensive and when you spend all day on campus without a meal plan since you need to figure out how to eat and maintain your health. People need help and it would be nice to have more of that help.     

My name is Brittaney Thompson, and I am a junior at Hunter College. I major in Psychology and Studio Art. As a student who does not receive financial aid, I have to pay for my education out of pocket. I have to work early in the mornings before attending class. There were times when I could not afford to pay my tuition and I had a hold on my account. This hold prevented me from registering for my classes on time and by the time I got  the hold off, the classes I needed were either all full or waitlisted. I usually have to settle for hard classes I did not want to take or classes at late hours.This one semester I had a hold on my account and struggled to get it off in time so I had to miss school. I had to go through the hassle of readmitting to Hunter and that process broke me. My experience with fighting to stay in school was hard, but I could not give up. Thankfully, I am still here.  I love attending school but it is hard to enjoy my time because I have to be working tirelessly to be able to afford it. Working before classes not just drains me but also affects my performance. My college experience so far has really scarred me and I hope in the future tuition can be free or at least more affordable.

I’m a psychology major. I’m a junior here at City College, and I think CUNY should be free because cost of living in New York City is notorious for being so high, and between that, tuition, and MTA fares, there’s not really space for you to use that money for anything that you need or anything for you to move around financially, and it’s becoming really depressing, people are moving out of New York City and people are not enjoying New York City and hustle culture as toxic as it is.

I’m student here at City College New York and I think I can benefit from a free CUNY and more importantly other students can benefit from a free CUNY because the cost of going to university here, while CUNY is an affordable university, it is still pretty expensive for some, especially low income families. In my case I still have to take out student loans, in the 10,000s attending here, and even right now I still have to take a part time job just to pay for some of the expenses like the transport and travel with my metrocard and overall I think a free CUNY builds an important part of our society which is the next generation coming up and learning in such a prestigious university that boosts communities.

I am a senior studying chemistry at Hunter College. I chose to attend a CUNY because it was much more affordable than a SUNY or private college. I live with my parents as dorming would be too expensive. I am lucky to receive the Pell Grant and TAP, both of which help cover my tuition fees. I also receive a scholarship per semester that helps fund my transportation, school materials, and food. While I rely on financial aid, I have come close to losing it during several semesters. This semester specifically, I was stressed about financial aid because I lost TAP. I couldn’t receive it because I was not taking enough eligible credits (the classes I needed to take were locked to the spring semester). I hope to see TAP’s eligibility expand in the future so that it accepts all the classes that students take. Attending college and getting a degree should not be blocked by tuition fees. Students need to be able to focus more on studying instead of stressing about working part-time/full-time to attend their classes.