See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.<\/p>\n
By Caroline Spivack<\/p>\n
Brooklyn Daily<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Mayor DeBlasio came to Mapleton to announce he’s waiving a fee for low-income students entering city colleges on Sept. 26.<\/p>\n
Hizzoner broke the news outside of Franklin Delano Roosevelt High School, a campus that will greatly benefit, because it sends a large number of low-income students to city universities, he said.<\/p>\n
“A huge, huge number of students who graduated from FDR went to [City University of New York] schools,” DeBlasio said. “CUNY is where more than half of our public school students go to college. It’s an important opportunity for most public school students, and FDR is a crucial example of that.”<\/p>\n
Students who are homeless, living in public housing or foster care, receive free or reduced-price lunch, or whose families receive public assistance can apply to up to six city colleges without having to pay the $65 application fee. Undocumented students are also eligible if they meet the financial criteria.<\/p>\n
The double-digit waiver may sound like small change, but it adds up for families who are scraping by, the mayor said.<\/p>\n
“I want to remind you $65 dollars is a lot of money for many families in New York City,” said DeBlasio. “It’s part of the choices that they make all the time: Are they putting money into rent? Are they putting money into food? Sixty-five dollars matters, so for our young people with families, knowing that fee is eliminated just clears the way and encourages students.”<\/p>\n
The Department of Education is providing schools with lists of eligible students, and school administrators will be responsible for apprising them of the waivers.<\/p>\n
An estimated 11,000 Brooklyn high-school seniors will qualify — up from 1,978 who received the waiver last year when qualifications were more restrictive, according to data from the mayor’s office.<\/p>\n
The initiative will cost $2.4 million annually — taxpayers and the City University of New York system are splitting the cost, officials said.<\/p>\n
Reach reporter Caroline Spivack at cspivack@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260–2517. Follow her on Twitter @carolinespivack.<\/p>\n
Comment on this story.<\/p>\n