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Q&A
Administrative feasibility of implementing student financial support initiatives
0:31:32
·
150 sec
Council Member Dinowitz inquires about the administrative challenges of implementing fee waivers, MetroCards, and unpaid balance clearance. CUNY officials explain that all three initiatives are administratively feasible, with existing mechanisms in place for implementation.
- CUNY has automatic mechanisms for fee waivers and experience with MetroCard distribution
- Unpaid balance clearance can be scaled quickly, based on experience during the pandemic
- The discussion emphasizes that these initiatives are investments rather than costs
Eric Dinowitz
0:31:32
Yes.
0:31:32
And then but separately, I assume you have past debts of other former students.
0:31:38
I'll just assume you have that.
0:31:39
But administer we've spoken about three things.
0:31:42
Administratively, for the administrative offices, forgetting about numbers, which of these three do you think would probably be the easiest to administer?
Reine Sarmiento
0:31:54
Between the metro cards.
Eric Dinowitz
0:31:56
Metro cards, the fee waivers, and the unpaid balances.
Reine Sarmiento
0:32:00
We have a mechanism now that's automatic for the fee waivers.
Eric Dinowitz
0:32:04
Okay.
Reine Sarmiento
0:32:05
So that is ongoing.
0:32:07
In terms of the metro cards, that is something that some of our other special programs like in Seek and CD have.
0:32:14
So there's a vehicle there.
0:32:16
And unpaid balances, we also have a mechanism to to do that and to scale pretty quickly because we did that during the pandemic.
0:32:24
Mhmm.
Eric Dinowitz
0:32:25
So none of these initiatives are administratively challenging.
0:32:29
It sounds like the question is, you know, where is is the amount of money and the impact.
0:32:35
Is that right?
Reine Sarmiento
0:32:36
The any administrative cost that CUNY has to bear to administer the programs is well worth the investment of getting these students across.
0:32:47
So we have a model to do it, and if we did it to scale, I think we're ready to do that.
Eric Dinowitz
0:32:52
Yeah.
0:32:53
And and I always point out when we use the word cost, we really mean investment.
0:32:58
Because as you pointed out in your testimony, when we when we provide the supports so students can get an education, fewer students are on public assistance, they're doing better for themselves and their families, and they're contributing more to the economy.
0:33:13
So these really are investments.
0:33:17
And so since they're all easy to implement, there there wouldn't be significant challenges to implementing any of these three initiatives?
0:33:25
No.
0:33:25
Okay.
0:33:28
And if I I know student debt is upsetting, and students not getting into school is upsetting.
0:33:35
I get it.
0:33:36
I get it.
0:33:37
For for those watching at home and can only hear my voice, we have a an 11 old here who these hearings are very interesting and important and this child cares about his future.
0:33:51
As do we all.
0:33:54
Can you imagine doing any or all of these three initiatives for the 2526 school year?