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NYC college students returning for final year of classes get huge surprise gift
Ecstatic college seniors at New York City's Cooper Union learned they are getting a free year of tuition during the first day of classes.
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, established in 1859, is one of the country's most prestigious and oldest institutions of higher education.
Founded by industrialist Peter Cooper, he made his school free for the working classes. However, nearing financial ruin in 2014, the school started charging tuition, according to The New York Times.
Now, this year's graduating class will be the first to receive a free year of its elite education thanks to alumni donors.
'Thanks to the generosity of three extraordinary alumni donors, we are removing a major financial burden for our graduating classes and reaffirming the ideals that have been foundational to this institution since Peter Cooper opened its doors,' outgoing president Laura Sparks said in a statement obtained by the Daily News.
College seniors at New York City's Cooper Union (pictured) learned they are getting a free year of tuition
Cooper Union seniors Laura Song (left) and Jasper Townsend (right) said they feel like the tuition is a gift
Students outside of the schools East Village campus told DailyMail.com they are excited and relieved to hear the news.
'I feel like Cooper already gives a good deal, but the financial aid office can be slow and this year my application got put behind and I did have to pay some. Now knowing that I'm going to get reimbursed, it's like a little gift,' architecture student and senior Laura Song said.
'They said it wasn't going to be until 2028 that they provided free tuition to everyone, so I think that this is a step towards that. We didn't think we would get a chance to be a part of that.'
When the school started enforcing tuition payments a decade ago, students protested and filed a lawsuit.
As a result, New York’s attorney general brokered a plan in 2018 to get the school back on track with the goal of free tuition for all by 2028.
'Now that our senior year is tuition free, I think everybody is coming into this year at peace,' said architecture student and senior Jasper Townsend.
'I think it's a great way to start the year and it's good to see that the school is reinforcing their tuition free return.'
Cooper Union's East Village campus is decked out in signs announcing the free tuition
Sophomore Jacob Shrone (pictured) said he is excited for his classmates
'Having alumni that are giving back goes into the tradition that the school is carrying and it's nice to have some stability.'
Although the free tuition is only covering seniors, underclass said they are happy for their classmates and optimistic about what it could mean for them.
'I was very excited, everyone is really excited. Everyone wished it was free the entire time but it's just exciting to see the school actually keeping its promise of going back to free tuition,' sophomore Jacob Shrone said.
'It was disappointing knowing tuition was free at one point and now we have to pay, but it's exciting for the future students that in a couple years it will be back to free.
'It still is very affordable even today, every student gets a half-tuition scholarship and the vast majority of people get even more than that. It's very affordable for everyone, that's one of the reasons why I chose to come here.'