Statement from Chancellor King and the SUNY Board of Trustees on the 2024 Legislative Session
June 10, 2024
"As the Legislative session ends, the State University of New York is immensely grateful for another successful year of deep investment and vigorous support of public higher education in New York State. We thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her continued commitment to make SUNY the best system of public higher education in the country. We're also grateful to our incredible legislative partners including Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Carl Heastie, higher education committee chairs Senator Toby Ann Stavisky and Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, and all the members of the New York State legislature who work tirelessly to ensure all New Yorkers have equitable and affordable access to public higher education.
"Indeed, we saw from this year's legislative session changes in policy to make SUNY even more affordable for more New Yorkers including universal FAFSA completion assistance to help high school students turn their college dreams into realities that can only happen by filling out the financial aid form, and the historic expansion of the Tuition Assistance Program—building on the 50 year financial aid program that helps enable 52% of full-time NYS resident students who attend SUNY tuition-free.
"SUNY enjoyed yet another historic increase in operating aid of $114 million to support well deserved wage increases for our faculty and staff, and to build academic excellence and student success resources across SUNY campuses. The $114 million investment builds on the previous year's historic $163 million operating aid increase, which has contributed to double-digit financial increases for state-operated campuses. The recurring funding will continue to support students with disabilities, increase campus mental health resources, ensure students leave SUNY with at least one internship or experiential learning experience, and increase research across the system.
"We are also excited about the state's commitment to our economic future, particularly through artificial intelligence and semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing. Empire AI will put New York State on the map as a leader in AI for the public good. In addition, legislation sponsored by Assemblymember Fahy and Senator Neil Breslin would allow the University at Albany to lease underutilized land on its campus to NY CREATES, part of an effort to expand the clean room space and additional capacity at the Albany NanoTech Complex. Expansion of the campus is vital as New York continues to push to lead in the semiconductor industry nationally.
"At SUNY we are appreciative of the support of the Governor and the Legislature. We look forward to next year's session as we continue building on the momentum SUNY is generating because today, SUNY is on the move."
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, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire 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 $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with 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
