SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman H. Carl McCall (Photo: SUNY.edu)

The State University of New York Board of Trustees passed a resolution yesterday calling for legislation that would give undocumented immigrant students access to tuition assistance, loans and in-state tuition rates "as intended by the DREAM Act."

“The current demographic realities of New York State indicate that many of the brightest and hardest working students eligible to enroll at SUNY are of undocumented status, and it is imperative that SUNY remain accessible to these students,” Board Chairman H. Carl McCall said.

President Barack Obama was a supporter of the DREAM Act, which was blocked by the Senate in with strong Republican opposition in December 2010. It would have given conditional permanent residency to undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children and spent time in the military or at an institute of higher education. President Obama reiterated his support for giving undocumented students access to college education in this week's State of the Union address.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the City Council, CUNY and New York University have all expressed support for providing tuition aid to undocumented immigrants in New York. Yesterday, State Senator and potential Congressional candidate Adriano Espaillat released a statement praising the SUNY board for their resolution.

“On behalf of my constituents in Manhattan and the Bronx, I thank the State University of New York’s Board of Trustees for sending a strong message recognizing that every person who is academically qualified should be able to access higher education, regardless of immigration status. Educating all of our young people makes our country stronger, not weaker," Senator Espaillat said. “As a sponsor of legislation that will allow undocumented New Yorkers to access scholarship money for higher education and an advocate for immigrants, I stand with SUNY today."

Illinois and California have both passed their own versions of the DREAM Act.

Governor Cuomo (Getty)

Before he signed a grant to give University of Buffalo $35 million to fund an expansion today, Governor Cuomo took a moment to pat himself on the back.

"I'm closing the first year of--my rookie year as governor and you tend to get a little reflective," he said.

Governor Cuomo asked his audience to harken back to the time before his term began so they could truly appreciate the unimaginable scope of his accomplishments.

"If I would have told you a year ago that the New York State legislature was going to be one of the most effective legislatures in the country ... If I told you that New York State was going to turn around its reputation and that jobs were going to come back to New York," Governor Cuomo said. "I think you would be dubious."

With the legislature co-signing his tax plan and unemployment down slightly, Governor Cuomo believes he's reaching those impossible heights.

"Well, it's all happened, and my friends, the best is yet to be," Governor Cuomo said.

In addition to praising the work done during his first year in office, Governor Cuomo crowed over the funding for the University of Buffalo. The UB2020 Grant, which was awarded under the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program, provides $35 million to fund a $375 university expansion that the Governor's office claims will bring more than 3,000 new jobs to Western New York.

"The engine in the regional growth is going to be the SUNY system," Governor Cuomo said at the signing ceremony.

Governor Cuomo (Getty)

Governor Andrew Cuomo said he thinks the students of the State University of New York system need to deal with tuition hikes and learn about "financial reality."

In an interview taped with WCNY's "Capitol Pressroom" Wednesday, Governor Cuomo explained why he thinks SUNY hikes are a fact of life.

"We passed rational tuition last year for the SUNY system, it gives people predictability. On average, the tuition increase is less than the tuition increase has been in the past. Well, students would like to have no increase ever. I understand that. I wish we were in a position to do that, but there's something called financial reality that we have to deal with," Governor Cuomo said.

Governor Cuomo's "rational tuition" plan includes $300 annual SUNY tuition increases for the next five years. Occupy Albany protesters that have recently targeted the governor oppose SUNY hikes.

During the interview, Governor Cuomo also reiterated his threat to use a veto if lawmakers attempt to draw legislative boundaries without an independent commission.

"My position is and has been through before I was elected, ... if there's not an independent process that I will veto the plan, then it will go to a court to decide," Governor Cuomo said.

Governor Cuomo also took the opportunity to praise his new appointments; Port Authority executive director Patrick Foye, M.T.A. head Joe Lhota and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jerry Hauer. The governor described his new crew as seasoned political pros, nay artists.

"I'm very excited about the team we're putting together. You know, I've been in and around government for many years, on many levels, and I truly respect government competence, and I respect public service deeply and I think when it's done well, it's an art form. ... The team we're putting together, I think is going to go down in the books as just an all-star team of government," Governor Cuomo said.