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Hillary Rodham Clinton Speaks at C.W. Post
First lady proposes solutions to college costs
 February 11, 2000 -- Hillary Rodham
Clinton may be new to the neighborhood, but she told a group
of parents and students at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island
University in Brookville, N.Y., today that she is no stranger
to their concerns. Mrs. Clinton, who recently announced her candidacy
for the New York State Senate, said she feels the burden of college
tuition as much as any parent.
"It is one issue that comes up from one end of the state
to the other," she said. "We have got to make college
tuition affordable."
Mrs. Clinton addressed more than 400 students, parents, staff,
faculty and community residents in the Hillwood Commons Lecture
Hall. Along with U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, she spoke with
a panel of C.W. Post parents and students, including Adella Adegbo
of the Bronx, whose son, Yemi, is a C.W. Post sophomore, and
Jill and Robert Kneer of North Massapequa, who are C.W. Post
parents three times over. Daughter Jodie is a senior, son Brad
is a freshman and son Christopher has been accepted for the Fall
2000. Jamila Dallal of Great Neck earned her bachelor's from
C.W. Post in 1998. Other panelists included Oscar Jonas of Bronx,
a junior and president of the Student Government Association,
Julius Bayron of Bronx, a senior and a member of the football
team, and Katia Cabrera of Bay Shore, a junior majoring in International
Business.
Mrs. Clinton told the audience that she supports College Opportunity
Tax Cuts, which would provide up to $2,800 in annual tax relief
per family. She also reiterated her support for general tax relief,
such as tax credits for long-term care and charitable donations
and a repeal of the marriage penalty.
"When [my sons] were in school I used to tell my husband,
I wish that tuition was tax deductible," said Jamila Dallal.
"I never thought something could come out of what I was
saying."
The Kneers said the scholarships, grants and work study their
children receive made it possible for them to attend C.W. Post.
Other panelists echoed those sentiments. Katia Cabrera credited
the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) for bringing
a college education within her reach. Athletics made it possible
for Bayron to attend C.W. Post, while Oscar Jonas gets a tuition
break because his father is an adjunct professor at Long Island
University's Brooklyn campus.
"Long Island University has always focused on educating
people from all walks of life without regard to their financial
circumstances," said David J. Steinberg, president of Long
Island University. "Nine out of 10 of our students are awarded
financial aid. We also encourage work-study arrangements and
internships, and aggressively solicit scholarships from alumni
and friends."
C.W. Post strives to give students access to a variety of
funding sources. Students received a total of $37 million in
federal support during the 1999-2000 academic year. New York
State assistance amounted to $4,340,394; and HEOP awards came
to $202,000. University-funded assistance totaled $11,000,000.
Mrs. Clinton is also looking beyond the undergraduate years.
"I hear about the load that so many have when they graduate,"
she said. "That makes it very difficult for them to do the
kind of work they'd like to do."
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