Christie Uses Incorrect Data During Westfield Event
GOP gubernatorial nominee said SUNY schools are cheaper for NJ students than Rutgers.
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Data on public higher education that Republican gubernatorial nominee Chris Christie provided during an appearance in Westfield last week has proved inaccurate.
During a press conference following a round table discussion on higher education issues, Christie cited an anecdote from a New Jersey guidance counselor saying that a New Jersey student attending either of two campuses of the State University of New York—Albany and Binghamton—would pay less money than attending Rutgers. Christie used the anecdote to reinforce a statement he made during the roundtable saying that New Jersey's public colleges have become too expensive for New Jersey students. Last week, Christie toured the state with running mate Kim Guadagno holding a series of events on higher education.
A review of data for projected 2009-2010 costs at the three universities in question by Westfield Patch reveals that Rutgers would be cheaper for a New Jersey resident to attend, and live on campus, than either of the two SUNY schools referenced by Christie. A New Jersey resident living on campus at Rutgers is expected to pay $22,262 in tuition and fees for the 2009 - 2010 academic year. An out-of-state student at the University at Albany will be paying $24,886 in projected costs for next year. An out-of-state student at Binghamton University will be paying $27,280 in projected costs for next year. SUNY schools traditionally refer to themselves without using the SUNY moniker.
Sources at the schools indicated that the projected costs provided on their Web sites were projected and could change based on various costs by the students including the type of meal plans and size of rooms. All costs were determined on the average size rooms and meal plans at the respective universities.
Rising costs at SUNY schools have been an on-going issue in New York State politics dating back to the 1990s. Advocacy groups regularly accused former Gov. George Pataki of underfunding the system, and causing tuition and fees to rise. Protests against rising tuition and fees have been common place on campuses against both university leaders and government officials. A comprehensive higher education reform plan offered by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer fell apart following Spitzer's March 2008 resignation.
A Christie campaign spokeswoman said that the gubernatorial candidate had been using the story in order to emphasize his point on higher education. She said he had trusted the person who told him the information and started using it. The spokeswoman said that Westfield Patch's inquiries into the issue would cause the former U.S. Attorney to stop using the anecdote at future campaign stops.
"Chris was using a story he was told to prove a point about the affordability of New Jersey schools," Christie spokeswoman Maria Comella said, noting that while the candidate will stop using the anecdote he will continue pressing for lowering higher education costs.
RepublicAnn
10:01 am on Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Would Christie be comparing what is cost NJ residents to go to NJ schools at NJ in-state tuition to NY residents to go to NY schools at NY in-state tuition? That would illustrate the point. The bigger problem is NJ schools recognize anyone as "in-state" as long as you give them a NJ address. Not the same in other states. Let's start giving preference to NJ residents on basis of property taxes that have been paid by them, which goes to the schools. Stop redistributing the wealth from the NJ taxpayer to the non-taxpayer, NJ resident or not.
John Celock
11:30 am on Tuesday, August 4, 2009
RepublicAnn,
Thank you for contributing to the discussion. I looked at the numbers and a NJ student will pay roughly $22,000 in-state for Rutgers and a NYS student will pay roughly $19,000 in-state at Albany or Binghamton. But, this is not the argument Christie made last week. During his press conference he said that it was cheaper for a NJ student to attend Binghamton or Albany as an out-of-state student than to attend Rutgers as an in-state student, which was pointed out by his spokeswoman when she said he would no longer be using the anecdote in future statements on higher education.
John
RepublicAnn
12:31 pm on Tuesday, August 4, 2009
John. I get that's what the press reported he said. I think it's more important to provide the facts that you did, which make the point that in-state tuition for a NJ resident is 16% higher than in-state tuition for a NY resident. Corzine is also supporting people who are in this country and NJ illegally be given in-state tuition. We need to stop rewarding people who break the laws. How does someone without a social security # pay taxes? Why am I responsible to pay for luxuries, such as an education at a 4 year university, for people who break the law?
RepublicAnn
1:11 pm on Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Actually John, let me be clearer. I think it would have been more responsible if you put the facts that you put in the reply to me, showing that it's 16% more for a NJean to pay in-state tuition than a NYer pays for his/her in-state tuition, in your article. The point of your article simply seemed to be that Christie made a mistake and you were going to prove it!
John Celock
1:37 pm on Tuesday, August 4, 2009
RepublicAnn,
Thank you again for contributing to the discussion. The article was discussing what Chris Christie said while he was in Westfield. He was talking specifically about the costs of a New Jersey resident attending either Albany or Binghamton as an out-of-state student, not the comparison of costs of in-state tuition at Rutgers and the two SUNY schools. I was looking at a very specific question regarding what he said while in town with regards to higher education. Which as the article shows his campaign confirmed when they said he would no longer be using the anecdote in reference to public higher education discussions.
Thank you again.
John
ralphwiggummm
7:33 pm on Monday, August 10, 2009
What is forgotten is that NY state schools often give out of state students scholarships. My son was accepted to Albany, Binghamton and Stonybrook. He was offered a $5000 per year scholarship ($20,000. over four years) which would have made Rutgers (at the time) $2000 per year more expensive than the NY schools. Rutgers offered him no scholarship. I guess that money was needed to payoff the football coach and his program.
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I guess this just another reason to vote for Corzine this year.
John Celock
4:02 pm on Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Thank you for your comment. The data I used in this article was the raw estimated numbers from Rutgers and the two SUNY schools. Scholarships are determined on an individual basis and cannot be calculated in the general costs of going to a school, especially since it is not known at the time of application. Actually scholarships and financial aid could even make an Ivy League School cheaper than other schools. I know someone who through financial aid and scholarships was able to make Columbia cheaper than Syracuse University.
Thank you for contributing.
John