Council Member Phil Wong at One Police Plaza.
Photo courtesy of the District Office of Council Member Phil Wong
In a letter sent on Wednesday, April 29, Council Member Phil Wong, joined by a coalition of New York City Council Members, is urging Governor Kathy Hochul to opt New York State into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) program, a move they say would expand educational access for families across the five boroughs at no cost to the state.
The FSTC would allow New Yorkers to “redirect a portion of their federal tax liability to nonprofit scholarship organizations, supporting tuition assistance and supplemental services such as tutoring and academic support for students in public, charter, and non-public schools,” according to a press release. Moreover, the program would give residents a tax credit for their scholarship fund donations, which in turn provides financial aid to students with school expenses.
“At a time when costs continue to rise, we should be taking every step possible to support students and expand access to quality education,” the Council Members stated in the letter, underscoring the urgency of the opportunity.
Photo courtesy of the District Office of Council Member Phil Wong
Photo courtesy of the District Office of Council Member Phil Wong
Addressed to Hochul, the letter was co-signed by the following elected officials: Majority Whip Kamillah Hanks (D-Staten Island), Deputy Leader Chris Banks (D-Brooklyn), Minority Leader David Carr (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn), Minority Whip Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn), Frank Morano (R-Staten Island), Vickie Paladino (R-Queens), Susan Zhuang (D-Brooklyn), Shanel Thomas-Henry (D-Queens) and Joann Ariola (R-Queens). The bipartisan initiative reflects broad support across the NYC Council.
Because affordability has become a pressing issue for a majority of New Yorkers, the FSTC would provide much-needed financial assistance, thereby improving their social mobility. The Council Members further emphasized that the opportunity is “time-sensitive” and warned that failure to act could result in these funds “being directed to other states instead of benefiting New York families.”
As of press time, the Office of Governor Kathy Hochul has not responded to a request for comment.