New Yorkers will be able to study at state colleges for free.

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New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo reached an agreement with state budget legislators that includes a free college tuition plan for middle-class New Yorkers.

The state assembly and Senate are expected to approve the budget for April 9-10, reports CNN.

New York will be the first state in the United States to introduce free undergraduate and graduate programs. Take advantage of this opportunity will be residents of the state, whose annual income does not exceed a certain level. The transition to free education and the establishment of income levels will be implemented gradually over 3 years.

Starting in the fall of 2017, graduate students who attend colleges and universities in the city or state of New York will be eligible for free tuition if their families earn no more than $ 100 thousands per year. In 2018, the maximum amount of income for a family will rise to $ 110 thousand and in 2019, it will reach $ 125 thousand.

Those who qualify for free tuition will not pay for college education services, which cost about $ 4500. But they will still pay for room and board if they live on campus. These costs can be up to $ 14 thousand per year.

To participate in the program, students must receive at least 30 credits per year, although this requirement is rather “flexible” and suggests the possibility of receiving a smaller amount with a smaller number of credits.

After graduation, students who studied for free would have to live and work in New York for the same number of years during which they received funding. If they leave the state, their scholarship will be converted into a loan, which they will be required to repay.

According to the authors of the budget, in the first year the program will cost the state $ 163 million.

Also, the new draft budget assumes juvenile justice reform, will allow Uber и Lift work in the northern part of the state and allocates more funds to the water infrastructure, reports NBC.

It is planned to raise the age of criminal responsibility for offenders. In October 2018 it will be raised to 17 years old, and in 2019 to 18 years old.

In accordance with this agreement, juvenile offenders will no longer be detained in adult prisons, but will go to juvenile facilities where they can receive additional rehabilitation and treatment.

Uber и Lyft can now work in cities like Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester and Albany. Previously, the work of these applications was limited to New York.

There are also increases in the cost of combating drug addiction.

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