Governor Andrew Cuomo was joined by Hillary Clinton Wednesday to sign his scholarship plan offering qualifying New Yorkers free college tuition into law. Zack Fink filed the following report.

Although it was Governor Andrew Cuomo's appearance with Hillary Clinton that grabbed headlines Wednesday, it was a brief appearance in a video by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders that drew the loudest applause from the college crowd.

In January, Cuomo first unveiled his plan for free college tuition alongside Sanders. But now that the program actually passed the state budget earlier this week, it was Clinton's turn to hold up New York as a national model.

"Look, I hope it's the first of many states. I think both Andrew and I would be delighted to have other states say, 'Well, we don't want New York to be the only providing tuition free college for the middle class. We're going to do it,'" Clinton said.

Under Cuomo's college affordability program, students from households making up to $125,000 per year will be eligible for state assistance once other scholarship options have been exhausted.

"Today, my friends, college is what high school was 70 years ago. It is not a luxury. It is a necessity," Cuomo said.

Cuomo's plan does come with a catch. Students who take advantage of free tuition must stay in New York a specified number of years after they graduate. The residency requirement was stuck into the budget at the last minute by state Senate Republicans, who point to data that New Yorkers are leaving upstate in sizable numbers.

Students NY1 spoke with didn't seem to mind staying here.

"I love New York. New York is my home. I don't see myself living anywhere else but New York," said one student.

The Excelsior scholarship program will be phased in over the next three years. It's cost this year is $163 million, although that could go up depending on how many people take advantage of the program.