4 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 5, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
50K CUNY students to have their student debt wiped clean
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
Kids reconnect with education at Jamaica camp
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Aft er a diffi cult school year, students in
southeast Queens are reconnecting with
each other and fi ghting pandemic-related
learning loss at the YMCA of Greater
New York’s Jamaica STEAM summer day
camp.
On Wednesday, July 28, Councilwoman
Adrienne Adams toured the camp that
educates students about science, technology,
engineering, arts and math (STEAM)
while providing fun summer activities.
“Th is past school year has been challenging
for our students, parents and
teachers, which underscores the importance
of summer programs like the
STEAM day camp to engage our young
people in hands-on learning and educational
activities,” Adams said. “I am grateful
to the YMCA of Greater New York,
AT&T and all of our community partners
who worked together to make this summer
experience possible for our students.”
Th e STEAM Summer Camp is supported
by a $100,000 gift from AT&T,
which provides 70 percent camp scholarships
for children from low-income families
who could otherwise not aff ord to
send them to camp. As part of its support,
AT&T has challenged other New York
businesses and individual New Yorkers
to donate to NY Forever’s Summer Camp
Project, which supports YMCA summer
day camps across the fi ve boroughs.
“Th e pandemic has disrupted New
Yorkers’ lives in unimaginable ways, especially
upending the way our kids learn
and socialize. Th is summer, we are honored
to help New York’s kids enjoy their
time off and catch up with their STEAM
education,” said Patricia Jacobs, president
of AT&T’s northern region. “We
are so excited to join Council member
Adrienne Adams and our partners at the
YMCA today to tour their STEAM summer
camp and see fi rsthand kids acquiring
new skills and preparing for the academic
year ahead.”
Th e YMCA’s STEAM summer day
camps, which started in mid-July, off er
kids hands-on learning experiences at
zoos, museums and botanical gardens
that will enrich their STEAM education,
while providing important opportunities
to socialize with other kids and destress
aft er a diffi cult school year.
“As a critical hub for each of the
communities we serve, the Y has
played an important role in New
York City’s recovery, especially when
it comes to children and working
families,” YMCA of Greater New
York President and CEO Sharon
Greenberger said. “We’ve provided
emergency childcare, hosted
learning labs and empowered children
with opportunities like our STEAM
camps, where they get to explore our
world. But none of that would have been
possible without the advocacy of elected
offi cials like Council member Adrienne
Adams and the generous
support of our partners like
AT&T. We’re thankful for
their vision, partnership
and commitment
to the Y’s mission.”
For more information on NY Forever’s
Summer Camp Project, visit its website at
ymcanyc.org.
“I encourage our businesses and community
members to take part in the
Summer Camp Project to provide similar
opportunities for young people throughout
New York City,” Adams said.
For nearly 170 years, the YMCA of
Greater New York has been helping New
Yorkers reach their full potential. As the
city’s leading nonprofi t community service
and wellness organization, the Y
empowers community members — no
matter who they are or where they are
from — by providing access and opportunities
to learn, grow and thrive.
adomenech@schnepsmedia.com
@AODNewz
Governor Andrew Cuomo is eliminating
up to $125 million in unpaid student
debt for 50,000 CUNY students who
experienced fi nancial hardship during the
pandemic under a new initiative called
the CUNY Comeback Program.
“Th e COVID-19 pandemic has caused
hardships in the lives of so many New
Yorkers, and our students were among
those most impacted,” Governor Cuomo
said in a statement. “Th is landmark new
program eliminates millions of dollars
in unpaid debt, providing much-needed
relief to tens of thousands of CUNY students
as they work to get back on their
feet aft er the pandemic and plan for their
futures.”
In addition, students who did not
accrue unpaid tuition and fee balances
during the pandemic but still suff ered
fi nancial hardship due to COVID will get
fi nancial relief in the form of enhanced
Student Emergency Grants. Th e program
is funded through federal stimulus assistance
allocated to CUNY.
“CUNY students showed their great
resilience in the face of the immeasurable
hardships they faced over the past 16
months, from employment and income
loss to food and housing insecurity,
amid an unprecedented health crisis that
brought sickness and tragedy to thousands
of New York families,” said CUNY
Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez in
a statement. “Th is compassionate action
will allow CUNY students and recent
graduates to move ahead in pursuit of
their educational and career objectives
without the specter of unpaid tuition and
fees. Th is landmark measure will also
enhance CUNY’s important contributions
to New York’s economic recovery.”
Th e CUNY board of trustees approved
to use the $125 million in federal stimulus
funds for student support, retentions
and the governor’s student debt relief initiative.
CUNY leadership estimates that
at least 50,000 students will receive some
form of pandemic debt relief. According
to a release from the governor’s offi ce,
as of August of last year, 69.2 percent of
CUNY students were attending a twoyear
or four-year college for free and the
average amount of debt upon graduation
was about $2,000.
In order to qualify for the debt-relief
program, students must have been
enrolled at a CUNY school from March
13 of last year, when the coronavirus was
declared a national emergency, throughout
the 2021 spring semester and accrued
tuition and fee balances throughout that
time.
Students who did accrue tuition and
fee balances in the spring 2020, summer
2020, fall 2021 and spring 2021 terms will
have those balances erased.
Photos courtesy of
Adams’ offi ce
Councilwoman
Adrienne
Adams visited
the Jamaica
YMCA on Parsons
Boulevard to
check out its
STEAM summer day
camp.
Photo courtesy of Queens College
Queens College
/ymcanyc.org
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