GREENWICH VILLAGE — New York University's new president is setting a $15 minimum wage for student workers — and he promises it'll happen at the school even if Albany drags its heels.
The minimum wage increase is a hot button issue in New York State right now, but new university President Andrew Hamilton said the need for it at NYU came to him as he has "listened to students in various settings."
"As I have continued my efforts to listen and learn about NYU, the topic that recurs most often in my meetings with students is affordability," Hamilton said in a school-wide email.
NYU is notoriously pricey, among the most expensive schools in the nation. The issue has prompted protests, rallies and negative media coverage over the last few years.
The students who the minimum wage increase would apply to are those in work-study programs, a form of financial aid that both helps the student pay for college "and also pay for the experiences that accompany a college education: sharing a meal out with friends, attending the cultural events for which New York is duly famous, or simply addressing the myriad expenses that come with being on one’s own at college," Hamilton wrote.
Hamilton's plan will raise the minimum pay for students over three years. For the upcoming 2016-2017 academic year, the minimum will be $12 an hour, the following academic year will increase to $13.50 and it will reach $15 for the 2018-2019 academic year.
And he made sure to note that if Albany stalls or even blocks the state-wide minimum wage, it will have no bearing on NYU's student workers.
"Even if there is not agreement on this issue, or if the agreement calls for a longer time frame, NYU will move forward with its plans," he wrote. "And, of course, should state legislation call for a quicker time frame, we will comply with that."
