Free Republic

New York would be the first state to make tuition at public colleges and universities free for middle-class students under a state budget set for passage in Albany. The plan crafted by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo would apply to any New York student whose family has an annual income of $125,000 or less. To qualify the student would have to meet certain class load and grade point average restrictions, and room and board would not be covered. Cuomo said Sunday that the tuition plan, which his office has estimated to cost $163 million, is a national first.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Sunday that people mistakenly believe he is proposing free college for all, when in fact he is proposing free tuition at public colleges and universities. […] “Like you, I came from a family that didn’t have a lot of money, first generation to go to college, but I want every kid in this country who is in the sixth grade or the fourth grade to understand that if he or she studies hard, does well, they will be able to go to college regardless of the income of their family, and we...