“We applaud the agreement forged by Governor Paterson, the State Assembly, the State Senate, and the MTA that will allow half a million New York City students to begin their summer vacations knowing that when they return to school they will have a free student MetroCard to get them there.

“Students, parents, advocates, and local officials have been arguing for over six months that ending the student MetroCard program would have devastated New York City families, encouraged students to skip school, and inexcusably prevented countless children from attending the school of their choice.

“In the end, the MTA heard loud and clear that ending this critical program was simply not an option. This victory belongs to the thousands of young people and advocates who spent hours petitioning, rallying, and testifying before the MTA Board to save student MetroCards.”