Groups To Rally At NY Capitol For Higher Education Funding

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Student groups and faculty unions will gather at the state Capitol to advocate for more higher education funding in New York.

Advocacy organizations from across the state plan to hold a rally Tuesday in Albany to urge Gov. Andrew Cuomo to close what they say is a nearly $140 million shortfall in funding for State University and City University of New York campuses.

The Democrat has included $7.6 billion for the state's public university system in his $175 billion budget proposal. He also wants to launch the third and final phase of the program that provides free tuition to SUNY and CUNY schools for middle-class families.

The students and academic union leaders will be joined by several state lawmakers, including Deborah Glick, a Manhattan Democrat who's the chairwoman of the Assembly higher education committee.