NYIT students representing the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) joined more than 1,000 high school and college students from across New York in Albany Tuesday to advocate for student aid funding during the annual New York Student Aid Alliance Advocacy Day.

This year’s Executive Budget proposes funding cuts totaling $50 million to Bundy Aid, HEOP, the Science and Technology Entry programs (STEP/C-STEP), the Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP), and the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). The Advocacy Day was an occasion for students to meet with lawmakers from across the state and urge them to restore funding for this critical student aid.

During a student “speak-out,” high school and college students shared personal stories about the benefits they have received from the aid and opportunity programs under fire.

Aaron Soler, a first-year electrical and computer engineering student at NYIT, relies on HEOP and TAP funds to finance his higher education. “I’m not just a first generation college student but a first generation high school graduate as well,” said Soler. “If it weren’t for HEOP, I probably wouldn’t be able to attend college.”

Students from about 65 public and private, not-for-profit campuses attended the rally to show their support for student aid programs and encouraged lawmakers to restore their funding. Simultaneously, a virtual Advocacy Day took place on Twitter, with students and supporters across the state sharing their stories using the hashtag #StandUp4StudentAid.

NYIT’s Director of HEOP Phillip Menzies, who went with 23 NYIT students and two staff members to meet with lawmakers, said, “Our students had a great experience in Albany. They learned the significance of why we lobby each year, and that sharing their personal experiences of how HEOP has impacted their lives gives them a meaningful voice.” Menzies added, “I would like to extend a special thank you to all of the state assembly people we met with who support our plea for continued state funding, as well as funding increases for current and future program students.”

Students across New York rely on student aid programs to achieve their college dreams. For example, Bundy Aid, a 50-year-old state program, benefits nearly 500,000 students at private, not-for-profit colleges and universities across the state. The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) serves more than 300,000 New Yorkers in college, dispensing more than $900 million in student aid.

The New York Student Aid Alliance is a coalition of colleges, universities, and other stakeholder organizations that support state funding for programs vital for New York students. This is the organization’s 10th annual Advocacy Day in the state capital.

About NYIT
NYIT (New York Institute of Technology) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 9,000 students at campuses in New York City (Manhattan) and Long Island (Old Westbury) in New York; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Vancouver, British Columbia; and in various programs around the world. NYIT sponsors 13 NCAA Division II programs.

NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. More than 100,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

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