What's happening
This bill allows certain SUNY schools to offer special tuition rates to non-resident undergraduates living within 200 miles, through 2025.
Why it matters
Aims to boost enrollment and revenue. at selected SUNY institutions by attracting more non-resident undergraduates from neighboring states, especially where local high school graduate numbers may be declining.
Helps SUNY schools compete regionally. against out-of-state public universities that may already offer tuition discounts to nearby non-residents, potentially reducing the outflow of students from New York to those institutions.
Limits potential impact on in-state students. by capping the number of eligible non-resident students at 10% of each participating institution’s enrollment, ensuring local students still have access.
Requires annual reporting. from participating schools, which means the program’s effects on enrollment, revenue, and institutional capacity will be monitored and could inform future tuition or admissions policies.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Lower Tuition for Nearby Students
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to higher education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
884
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. YOUNG -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing the board of trustees of the state university of New York to offer certain nonresident undergraduate students separate tuition rates for attendance at selected state-operated institutions; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 4-a to read as follows:
(4-a) Commencing with the two thousand twenty--two thousand twenty-one academic year and ending in the two thousand twenty-four--two thousand twenty-five academic year, the board of trustees of the state university is authorized to designate selected state-operated institutions of the state university for participation in a program allowing eligible nonresident undergraduate students that reside within two hundred miles of a selected institution to pay separate tuition rates for attendance at those selected institutions. In selecting institutions for this program, such board of trustees shall consider out-of-state competition, current or projected levels of high school graduates within an institution's recruitment region, and enrollment capacity and physical location of these institutions. The board of trustees of the state university is further authorized to set such separate tuition rates, which shall not be set below an amount equal to one and one-half times the in-state tuition rate at the designated institution. Such separate tuition rates may be offered only to eligible non-resident students, the total of which shall not exceed ten percent of enrollment at each designated institution. Each state-operated institution that is selected for participation in this program shall report annually to the board of trustees of the state university on the impact of this program.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed June 1, 2025.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04127-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing the board of trustees of the state university of New York to offer certain non-re- sident undergraduate students separate tuition rates for attendance at selected state-operated institutions; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof
Purpose
To authorize the SUNY Board of Trustees to develop a pilot program expected to be used by selected universities facing significant out of state competition for students to more effectively market these univer- sities to residents of surrounding states.
Summary of provisions
This bill add a new subparagraphs 4(a) to section 355 of the Education law. Section (4-a)directs that beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year, the SUNY Board of Trustees is authorized to designate selected state operated institutions of SUNY to allow eligible non-resident undergradu- ate students to pay separate tuition rates for attendance at those selected institutions. Those regulations shall provide that eligible out of state residents would pay tuition and fees at a rate which is not less than 1.5 times the in state tuition and fee rate. No more than la of the enrollment openings at each eligible campus could be filled by out of state students who receive this rate. The program would run for a four year period. The State University Board of Trustees would be directed to select institutions based upon considerations to include out-of-state competition, current or projected levels of high school graduates within an institution's recruitment region, and the enrollment capacity and physical location of the institutions. The separate tuition rates would be available to out of state students that reside within a 200 mile radius of each selected institution.
Read the full memo (656 words)
Justification
This bill would grant authority to the SUNY Board of Trustees to craft a program to assist in state institutions who face significant out of state competition to more effectively market their campuses. For exam- ple, SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Alfred all have campuses which are located near New York's border. They would make an attractive desti- nation for students who reside in nearby urban areas in states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and even Ontario. The current in-state tuition rate does little to attract students from out of state communities to these campuses. A tuition rate that is one and one half times the in-state rate would make these colleges a more affordable choice to the pool of nearby out of state students.
Many colleges in Pennsylvania and Ohio currently offer their in-state rates to students in New York and actively market these rates to New York residents. Examples of this marketing include Youngstown State University where under the "tuition advantage program" non-residents from New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia pay only $210 more than Ohio in-state tuition. In 2011 Edinborough University, which enrolled 13.8% of their students from out of state, offers tuition at 5% greater than the in state tuition rate. Another example is the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford which operates a Go Beyond New York" program and specifically targets New York students from Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Alleghany counties who are offered the Pennsylvania in-state tuition. In 2011, 21.41 of Bradford's students came from out-of-state.
Creating a temporary pilot program will help to increase out of state enrollment for the largest public system of higher education. This will develop brand awareness of the SUNY system for out-of- state students, families and guidance counselors. The program will bring additional housing, food and discretionary spending dollars into New York's economy and would further benefit the local economies surrounding these campus- es.
Legislative history
2018: S.3949-A Committed to Rules 2017: S.3949 Passed Senate 2016: S.8116 Passed Senate
Fiscal implications
Undetermined, but likely to be neutral in that marketing is occurring to a previously unavailable target population. Minimal to the State
Effective date
Immediately, and this act shall expire and be deemed repealed on June 1, 2025.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.