NEW YORK — The City University of New York's board of trustees approved tuition increases Monday as protesters gathered outside the meeting to denounce the move.
The tuition increases would be $300 per year for undergraduates, for up to five years. The first increase has already gone into effect, with tuition this year for resident full-time undergraduates at $5,130 and rising to $6,330 for the 2015-2016 academic year.
The increase rate varies for other programs, such as resident full-time law students paying an additional $670, and resident full-time doctoral students paying an additional $430.
Students United for a Free CUNY held a demonstration ahead of the meeting. Dozens gathered at Madison Square Park and marched to Baruch College, where the board was meeting.
Freshman Larry Sass-Ainsworth, 18, said he's been washing dishes at a restaurant and working as a salad maker at another to pay his $6,000-a-year tuition at Hunter College. He said he's afraid he might have to interrupt his studies to save more money because of a tuition hike.
CUNY said the tuition increase was required, because state aid has been cut by $300 million over the last four years, even as full-time enrollment has increased by 9.6 percent.
CUNY also said a portion of the money raised by the tuition hikes would be set aside for helping students with financial aid.
A protest last week on the issue resulted in 15 people being arrested, when students crowded into a Baruch College building where the CUNY board of trustees was holding a public hearing.
Baruch decided to reschedule afternoon classes and limit student access during the Monday board meeting to avoid a repeat of the Nov. 21 incident.
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