Enacted SFY 2025-26 Budget Makes $23.3 Billion Investment in Higher Education, Including $209 Million in Opportunity Program Funding

Speaker Carl Heastie and Higher Education Committee Chair Alicia Hyndman today announced the Enacted State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025-26 Budget makes critical investments in New York’s higher education system, supporting the State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York’s (CUNY) to continue providing a world-class education to students across the state.

“Affordable and accessible higher education can transform lives,” said Speaker Heastie. “By providing critical investments to our SUNY and CUNY schools, and ensuring our opportunity programs are funded, we’re providing the next generation of students the ability to dream and work towards a brighter tomorrow.”

“Our SUNY and CUNY schools provide a vital opportunity for New Yorkers to climb the socioeconomic ladder,” said Assemblymember Hyndman. “This investment in our education programs – especially our community college programs – will ensure even more students can receive a world-class education and provide for their families.”

SUNY Funding

The budget provides $410 million in additional capital for SUNY projects, including:

• $250 million for SUNY Upstate Hospital, for a total of $450 million;
• $100 million for SUNY research facilities, for a total of $300 million; and
• $60 million in Flexible Capital Project funding.

The enacted budget also provides additional funding for several projects, including:

• $2 million restoration for SUNY Maritime;
• $1.7 million restoration for Cornell Cooperative Extension;
• $350,000 restoration for the SUNY Black Leadership Institute;
• $350,000 restoration for the SUNY Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Leadership Institute; and
• $330,000 for the Long Island State Veterans Homes.

The budget also shifts the cost of SUNY hospital debt service to the state, saving the hospitals $70 million.

CUNY Funding

The budget provides $85 million in additional capital for CUNY projects, including:

• $43 million for CUNY Hunter College;
• $40 million in Flexible Capital Project funding; and
• $2 million for the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies.

The enacted budget also provides $34 million for collective bargaining costs with various additional adds, including:

• $4 million restoration for CUNY Medical School;
• $2.5 million restoration and $2 million increase for the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, for a total of $8.2 million;
• $1.2 million restoration for the CUNY Black Male Initiative; and
• $350,000 for the CUNY Asian American/Asian Research Institute.

Community Colleges

The enacted budget also provides $47 million for the New York Opportunity Promise Scholarship, which will provide financial support for tuition, books, and fees for students ages 25-55 enrolled in specific high demand fields at SUNY and CUNY community colleges. The community colleges also received an operating fund increase:

• $8 million in additional funding for SUNY, for a total of $433 million; and
• $5.3 million in additional funding for CUNY, for a total of $229 million.

Opportunity Programs

The budget includes a $9 million restoration and $3 million increase for Opportunity Programs, including EOP, SEEK, College Discovery, STEP, C-STEP, HEOP, Liberty Partnerships, and Foster Youth Initiative.

Other Investments

The enacted budget also provides the following restorations:

• $1,000,000 for the Patricia McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship, for a total of $4.9 million;
• $100,000 for the NYS Child Welfare Worker Incentive Scholarship, for a total of $150,000; and 
• $50,000 for the Young Farmer Loan Forgiveness Program, for a total of $200,000.