Chancellor King Celebrates the Expansion of Paid Internship Opportunities for Students Across New York State
April 6, 2026
SUNY Internship Summit Convened Leaders from Throughout SUNY System who are Advancing Internship Opportunities
Reinforces SUNY's Goal to Ensure Every SUNY Student has Access to a High-Quality Internship
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today highlighted SUNY's commitment to paid internships that prepare students for their future during the 2026 SUNY Internship Summit. The inaugural internship summit brought together SUNY System Administration staff and representatives from SUNY campuses to showcase internship initiatives across the state and continue to develop campus plans to ensure every SUNY student has access to a high-quality internship or other experiential learning opportunity before graduation.
"Internships advance SUNY's dual commitment to student success and upward mobility. Internships play an important role in preparing our students for the workforce while also offering real-world experience in careers that interest them," said SUNY Chancellor King. "SUNY's robust internship programs and partnerships help empower our students to pursue high-quality, hands-on learning opportunities, so they can continue on the path to a successful future. I thank all of the dedicated staff and partner organizations who support our students as they move throughout their internship experiences."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "SUNY's internship programs and partnerships provide our students with vital opportunities to explore career paths that interest them, while also gaining valuable real-world skills. We thank Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature for their continued investment in and support for SUNY's internship programs, and the success of our students."
In the 2024-25 academic year, 62 percent of undergraduate students receiving a degree had taken part in a high-impact practice, including an internship, clinical placement or practicum, capstone course project, service learning and community-based learning, undergraduate research, including field study, or study abroad.
Through strong investment from Governor Hochul and the State Legislature, the SUNY Board of Trustees provides $14.5 million in annual state funding to support paid internships for students at State-operated campuses. In addition, SUNY awarded funding to 23 community colleges to expand access to stipends and wraparound services, including transportation and child care expenses, so students could complete internships. Governor Hochul's Executive Budget includes an additional $7.4 million to expand career-connected internships across the SUNY System.
To support paid internship opportunities for students, SUNY has launched internship partnerships with organizations including the New York State Association of Counties, the New York State Insurance Fund, as well as an internship exchange program with the University of Puerto Rico and the conservation organization Para La Naturaleza. SUNY has also launched programs including the SUNY Educational Opportunity Career Development Internship Program, Chancellor's Su5-29-25 Summer Research Excellence Fundmmer Research Excellence Fund, the SUNY Institute for Local News, the Veterans Enrollment and Support Internship Program, and the SUNY Climate Corps. As part of Chancellor King's 2025 State of the University agenda, SUNY also designated regional workforce coordinators across the state to assist campuses in identifying internship opportunities.
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, "Paid internships open doors that unpaid ones never could. They ease financial barriers and give students experience in real workplaces. Chancellor King has made this a priority, and the Legislature's $14.5 million investment in paid internships at State-operated campuses is proof of what happens when Albany and SUNY are aligned. Every student deserves the chance to build a career before they leave campus."
State Senator Patricia Fahy said, "Creating internship and career opportunities for SUNY students has been a long-term priority of mine, and studies show that students who complete internships are far more likely to land good-paying jobs, especially at the place of their internship. When students are connected to employers and high-impact experiential learning opportunities, they are more likely to succeed in the job market post-graduation. As the federal government continues to place its crosshairs on higher education institutions across the country, SUNY is stepping up to ensure that our students succeed and are prepared to enter the job market post-graduation by connecting students to meaningful opportunities. I want to thank Chancellor King and SUNY for continuing to make this a priority moving forward and for continuing to invest in the success of not just our students, but New York State as a whole."
State Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, "The evolution of the SUNY collegiate experience is increasingly defined by the seamless integration of academic rigor and experiential pedagogy. As Chair of the Committee on Higher Education, I applaud Governor Hochul and Chancellor King for their steadfast commitment to universalizing access to high-quality, paid professional opportunities. By directing $14.5 million in annual state funding toward these internships, we are effectively dismantling the historical barriers that once forced our most promising scholars to choose between a paycheck and professional growth. This initiative serves as a vital conduit for socioeconomic mobility, ensuring that every graduate - particularly those from our most underserved communities - possesses the multifaceted workforce readiness required to lead in New York's burgeoning global economy. We aren't just granting degrees; we are cultivating a pedagogical vanguard ready to meet the demands of the 21st-century workforce."
Ruth Watkins, President of Postsecondary Education at Strada, said, "It is inspiring to see Chancellor King, SUNY's trustees and Governor Hochul partner to ensure that every SUNY student can - and will - gain at least one paid internship or other experiential learning opportunity. The evidence is clear: paid work-based learning helps every student connect to employment and stronger earnings after completion of their degree or credential. We also know that these powerful work-integrated learning opportunities are not readily available to all learners. The Chancellor's commitment and the support of trustees and leaders are transformative actions."
Christopher Wandell, Associate Director of Experiential Education at the State University of New York at Binghamton, said, "Chancellor King's priority to ensure every student has access to a paid internship is a vital step in preparing our graduates for a rapidly shifting workforce, and events like the SUNY Internship Summit help us to reach that goal. By gathering together to discuss and brainstorm both the barriers to these experiences, and what our colleagues are doing to alleviate them, we are helping to ensure our students receive the best possible start to their careers, no matter which institution they attend. As a two-time SUNY graduate myself, I've seen from both the student and staff side that this open collaboration is one of the many things that make SUNY unique."
Carl Norris, Executive Director of Workforce Development at Columbia-Greene Community College, said, "Receiving additional state legislative support, through partnerships with organizations such as the Association of Counties and NYSIF, will only reinforce how critical it is that individual SUNY institutions align their academic programs with the workforce. Paid internships provide our students with opportunities to gain hands-on experience while eliminating financial barriers and reinforcing their ability to enter their desired career field as they pursue their educational goals simultaneously. We're looking forward to working with SUNY's Regional Internship Coordinators on this important work for Columbia-Greene's students."
George Morales, Student at SUNY Cobleskill said, "Through my internship with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, I have gained an in-depth understanding of what the day-to-day job experience will be like in my career field. It has also allowed me to add a notable employer and experience to my resume for future career opportunities before graduating."
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
Share this:
Holly Liapis
518-320-1311
Email the Office of Communications
