For too many Americans, the rising costs of college are putting higher education out of reach. This comes at a time when a postsecondary degree is almost mandatory for earning a middle-class living. In New York alone, 70% of jobs require a college degree, but only about 46% of adult New Yorkers have one. We must close that gap. Last week, Gov. Cuomo made history when he signed into law a first-in-the-nation policy to cover tuition at all public colleges and universities in the state. In allowing students from families making up to $125,000 a year to attend SUNY and CUNY two- and four-year schools tuition-free, the Excelsior Scholarship promises to transform the lives of thousands of students and countless more potential students. Historically, such groundbreaking programs face initial criticism. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, there was resistance to compulsory education. In the 1960s, the American Medical Association warned that Medicaid would destroy quality health care.