Smoke and Mirrors
- City Hall 04/18/2017 by Linda Perry (WBAI News)

That's how New York elected officials and education advocates at City Hall today describe Governor Cuomo's Excelsior scholarship program. Council Member Inez Barron and Assembly Member Charles Barron say it's free tuition for middle class students, but it doesn't help working class or poor families. They say low income students who receive Federal Pell and NYS Tapp grants are required to use these first on tuition. leaving little if nothing for other fees connected with attending college. They want tuition totally free and for students to be able to use Tapp and Pell for college expenses.

—And while the Raise the Age Bill has received praise from many camps, Assembly Member Charles Barron as well as Angelo Pinto from the Justice League say it's a watered down bill and say why. —Please click above for more.

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New York City Council Member Inez Barron with a coalition of education advocates, City Hall, April 18, 2017