New 'CUNY Comeback Program' looks to eliminate pandemic balances

ALBANY | New York has now launched one of the nation's largest student-debt forgiveness plans with its new 'CUNY Comeback Program' aimed at forgiving pandemic balances and pushing students forward in their educational goals. On July 28, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the sweeping plan to eliminate up to $125 million in unpaid debt for at least 50,000 students who attended CUNY and suffered financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, students who did not accrue unpaid tuition and fee balances during the period but experienced financial hardship stemming from the pandemic will receive relief in the form of enhanced Student Emergency Grants. The CUNY Comeback Program will be funded through federal stimulus assistance allocated to CUNY, state officials said. "The COVID-19 pandemic has caused hardships in the lives of so many New Yorkers, and our students were among those most impacted," Gov. Cuomo said in the announcement. "This landmark new program eliminates millions of dollars in unpaid debt, providing much-needed relief to tens of thousands of CUNY students as they work to get back on their feet after the pandemic and plan for their futures." Officials said many CUNY students come from communities that were the hardest hit by the pandemic and its resultant economic fallout and that students' debt to CUNY nearly doubled during the pandemic. The objective of the CUNY Comeback Program is to remove financial barriers to access the education New Yorkers of limited means need to move up the economic ladder, education leaders said. "CUNY students showed their great resilience in the face of the immeasurable hardships they faced over the past 16 months, from employment and income loss to food and housing insecurity, amid an unprecedented health crisis that brought sickness and tragedy to thousands of New York families," said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. "This compassionate action will allow CUNY students and recent graduates to move ahead in pursuit of their educational and career objectives without the specter of unpaid tuition and fees. This landmark measure will also enhance CUNY's important contributions to New York's economic recovery." The average student debt balance is about $2,000. Eligible students who were enrolled at the University from March 13, 2020, the date the coronavirus was declared a national emergency, through the Spring 2021 semester and accrued tuition and fee balances during that time, will have those unpaid debts to the university wiped clean. This action covers the Spring, Summer and Fall 2020 semesters and the Spring 2021 semester, including students who have graduated. It is a one-time action to aid students who faced and overcame numerous difficulties during the public health and economic crises. For more information about the program criteria, visit www.governor.ny.gov/news.

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New 'CUNY Comeback Program' looks to eliminate pandemic balances

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