The Honorable Kathy Hochul

NY Senate Majority Leader Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins

NY Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie

Dear Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Sen. Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Heastie,

It is predicted that by 2027 nearly 70% of all jobs – including most high-wage jobs – will require some form of postsecondary credentials; however, postsecondary achievement among students in marginalized communities is declining. Research has long shown that Black and Latino students and students from high poverty areas disproportionately face systemic barriers to equitable educational attainment, which, in turn, result in compounding barriers in the workforce, including wage suppression and limited career growth.

As the only state without a dedicated funding stream for dual enrollment, New York must act boldly and make a minimum investment of $20 million in its highly coveted dual enrollment program this year to address this educational equity issue.

NY Public Schools’ dual enrollment programs —which allow high school students to take college courses and earn college credits while still in high school — have an established track record of significantly improving postsecondary achievement for students with higher-than-average systemic barriers. Dual enrollment is a pathway to building educational equity and economic security for those most in need, but enrollment does not mirror the diversity of the city’s public school system. While the program is widespread across NYC with over 400 high schools and 20,000 students participating annually, several groups of students — namely Black and Latino students, English language learners, students from high poverty neighborhoods, and male students — are underrepresented. This disparity also extends beyond the borders of the City of New York and is national in scope, making income inequality directly linked to unequal education.

The program’s primary eligibility requirements – standardized test scores and GPA – coupled with a heavy financial burden often fail to capture the diverse strengths and potential of these students, thereby perpetuating cycles of exclusion and marginalization. Without adequate funding support for tuition, books, fees, supplies, meals, and transportation, these opportunities remain out of reach for many deserving students.

To address and overcome systemic inequities in education and related outcomes, it is imperative that New York State take budget, legislative, and policy action this session to:

• Broaden eligibility requirements for dual enrollment programs to include course completion, teacher recommendations, portfolio projects, and internships.

• Increase funding support to cover the full costs of dual enrollment for low-income students, including tuition, books, fees, supplies, meals, and transportation.

• Implement equity-focused enrollment and performance funding models that provide additional weight to underrepresented and historically underserved students and consider factors like total student headcount and minimum earnings benchmarks.

• Adopt and adequately fund statewide longitudinal data systems, a critical educational equity tool in identifying points in the Preschool-to-Education and Career Pipeline where disparities emerge or widen, allowing for future targeted interventions and policy change.

New York State can lead the way in raising the bar to educational opportunity and access so that children, young people of color, and young people from high poverty neighborhoods —and by direct extension their families and communities—can experience unhindered economic opportunity, growth, and security.