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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Eli Dvorkin, Editorial and Policy Director at Center for an Urban Future
1:15:30
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153 sec
Eli Dvorkin from the Center for an Urban Future testified about the importance of CUNY as an engine of economic mobility and the need for investments to help more New Yorkers earn college credentials. He highlighted the success of CUNY Reconnect and proposed initiatives to address financial barriers preventing students from enrolling or completing their degrees.
- Recommended launching a CUNY Fresh Start initiative to clear unpaid balances for students who haven't completed their degree
- Urged support for CUNY Flex, a wraparound support model for part-time students including free MetroCards, advising, and technology access
- Encouraged a free MetroCard pilot for CUNY students to address transportation costs as a major non-tuition barrier to college success
Eli Dvorkin
1:15:30
Thank you, chair Genowitz.
1:15:32
My name is Eli Devorken.
1:15:33
I'm the editorial and policy director at the Center for an Urban Future.
1:15:36
Thank you so much for the opportunity to testify today.
1:15:39
CUNY is already New York City's most powerful engine of economic mobility.
1:15:44
But with the right investments, it can help thousands more New Yorkers earn a college credential and move into the middle class.
1:15:50
One of the best recent examples is CUNY Reconnect, which has already helped more than 47,000 New Yorkers, the majority of whom are women and people of color, return to CUNY and resume their education with over 8,500 students earning a credential so far, about half of those bachelor's degrees.
1:16:06
That is an incredible achievement.
1:16:08
But there's still a long way to go.
1:16:09
More than 64 640,000 working age New Yorkers today have some college credits but no degree.
1:16:16
Our research shows that one of the biggest barriers preventing more New Yorkers from reenrolling is unpaid balances, often less than a thousand dollars.
1:16:24
Even small debts can block students from coming back or cause them to stop out before finishing.
1:16:29
As one nonprofit leader told us, even an unpaid balance of $250, quote, can be an incredible burden, end quote, that derails working adults from returning to college.
1:16:38
To help thousands more New Yorkers take advantage of Reconnect, we recommend launching a CUNY Fresh Start initiative to clear unpaid balances of at least a dollar for students who started but have not completed their degree.
1:16:48
Fresh Start would build on the success of Reconnect and open the door for thousands more working adults to rejoin CUNY and reenter the economy stronger.
1:16:58
But getting students back is only part of the challenge.
1:17:00
Once they return, they need the right supports to persist and succeed.
1:17:04
That's why we urge the council to support the launch of CUNY Flex, a model of wraparound support, including free metro cards, hands on advising, and technology access for part time students.
1:17:15
Many adult learners in particular balancing work and family simply cannot attend college full time and it shows just fifty one percent of adult learners who transfer to a CUNY senior college earn a bachelor's degree within six years.
1:17:27
That's compared to sixty five percent of younger transfer students.
1:17:31
Unlike ASAP and ACE, which are only for full time students, CUNY Flex would meet students where they are.
1:17:36
In addition, we encourage support for a free MetroCard pilot for CUNY students.
1:17:40
Our research has found that transportation costs are one of the biggest non tuition barriers to college success, especially for the 90% of CUNY community college students who rely on public transit to get to class.
1:17:51
By knocking down these barriers, this council can help thousands more New Yorkers enroll in CUNY, complete a credential, and get on the path to economic mobility while building a stronger future for New York.
1:18:01
Thanks for the opportunity to testify, Pierre Denwitz.