SUNY Chancellor King and Board of Trustees Announce $10.6 Million State Budget Investment in SUNY’s Affordable Excellence in the Western New York Region
June 3, 2026
New Funding Maintains Resident Tuition and Broad-Based Fees Freeze for State-Operated Campuses as SUNY Expands Initiatives to Support Students on a Path to a College Degree
FY 2027 Enacted Budget for SUNY Brings Four-Year Total Increase to Nearly Half a Billion Dollars Thanks to Governor Hochul and State Legislature
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. and the SUNY Board of Trustees today announced the distribution of $54 million in new Direct State Tax Support in the FY 2027 Enacted New York State Budget to State-operated campuses—with $10.6 million allocated to SUNY campuses in the Western New York Region—as they affirm the affordability of an excellent education at SUNY. The funding maintains the statewide resident undergraduate tuition freeze even as SUNY expands initiatives to support students on their path to a college degree and strengthens the role SUNY campuses play in driving research, innovation, and economic growth statewide.
The budget was enacted under the leadership of Governor Kathy Hochul with support from Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and the entire State Legislature. Thanks to the Governor and legislative leadership, in addition to other investments in campus operations and facilities, total Direct State Tax Support has risen by $445 million over the last four years, a time marked by gains in enrollment, rigorous academic experiences, and SUNY research excellence.
“SUNY campuses are engines of opportunity for students and communities across New York, and this year’s state budget strengthens our ability to deliver on SUNY’s mission of affordable excellence,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “Thanks to the leadership of Governor Hochul and the State Legislature, public higher education remains central to a strong and affordable New York. This state investment will help campuses support student success, increase access to high-quality academic programs, grow research and workforce partnerships, and ensure students graduate prepared to thrive in New York’s economy and contribute to civic life.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “This state budget represents a bold affirmation of SUNY’s pivotal role in New York’s future. With this investment, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature are reinforcing their commitment to academic excellence and are expanding the promise of opportunity for every New Yorker while prioritizing affordability. These new resources will fuel innovation, support cutting-edge research, and ensure SUNY remains a powerful engine of workforce development and economic mobility.”
Under today’s Board of Trustees resolution, SUNY will allocate the $54 million to its 29 State-operated campuses, which will be used primarily to replace revenue that would have been generated from a tuition increase. As part of this investment, every University Center will commit to investing in research growth and all other State-operated campuses will invest in additional student services and supports to help all students thrive academically and prepare for rewarding careers.
The SUNY Board of Trustees also affirmed that it will freeze broad-based resident undergraduate fees for the 2026-27 academic year. In addition, with the Governor’s and State Legislature’s support, SUNY will complete the multi-year process of eliminating fees for graduate student workers.
In the Western New York Region, SUNY has allocated:
- $8.5 million allocated to the State University of New York at Buffalo; $67.80 million allocated since FY 2023
- $700,000 allocated to Alfred State College; $4.52 million allocated since FY 2023
- $900,000 allocated to SUNY Buffalo State University; $11.64 million allocated since FY 2023
- $500,000 allocated to SUNY Fredonia; $5.96 million allocated since FY 2023
The budget builds on three years of investment across the SUNY system, which made it possible for SUNY to allocate recurring funding to State-operated campuses to freeze resident undergraduate tuition and advance:
- General operating support to invest in student success and recruit and retain faculty and staff
- Cutting-edge research
- Paid internship opportunities for undergraduate students
- Student mental health services
- Services for students with disabilities
- Resources to address food insecurity
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, said, “Investments in our SUNY system are an investment into the futures of our young people. As prices rise on everything from gas and groceries to higher education, the Assembly Majority is committed to keeping our great SUNY schools within reach for New Yorks’ students and families. Maintaining the tuition freeze is vital to that mission. The enacted SFY 2026-27 budget ensures that both schools and students have the resources they need to succeed and thrive.”
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, “When I became Chair of the Higher Education Committee in 2019, I vowed to reverse the trend of a $200 increase in tuition every year. Since then, there's hasn't been tuition increases for New York students. The Legislature put $54 million into this year's budget to replace the revenue a tuition hike would have generated. In an affordability crisis, holding the line on tuition is one of the most powerful tools we have. I thank Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie, Chancellor King, and Governor Hochul, for helping to make this a reality.”
State Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, Chair of the Higher Education Committee, said, “A premier public university system must be defined not only by the caliber of its academics but by the accessibility of its institutions. By securing this critical investment to freeze resident tuition and broad-based fees - and by fulfilling our promise to eliminate fees for our dedicated graduate student workers - the Legislature is unequivocally prioritizing the future of New York’s students. We are dismantling financial barriers and ensuring that SUNY remains a powerful engine of upward mobility, allowing our scholars to focus on academic excellence and innovation rather than the anxiety of rising costs.”
State Senator April N.M. Baskin said, “Higher education remains one of the most powerful tools for creating opportunity and economic mobility. For first-generation college students and students from historically underserved communities, institutions like the University at Buffalo and Buffalo State University can open doors to lifelong success. I commend Governor Hochul, Chancellor King, and my colleagues in the State Legislature for investing in SUNY and maintaining the tuition freeze for resident undergraduate students.”
State Senator Jeremy Zellner said, "Higher education remains one of the most powerful pathways to opportunity, and this investment reinforces our commitment to keeping a SUNY education affordable and accessible for students across Western New York. I fought hard alongside my colleagues in the Legislature to secure this funding, which will support student services, academic excellence, and research at the University at Buffalo and Buffalo State University while maintaining the resident undergraduate tuition freeze. These investments strengthen our campuses, support our students, and drive innovation, workforce development, and economic growth across our region. I thank Governor Hochul and my colleagues for their partnership and commitment to SUNY and the students it serves.”
State Assemblymember Pat Burke said, “As someone who worked his way through SUNY Buffalo State to earn a degree, I know firsthand how important affordability is for students and families. Freezing tuition while continuing to invest in our campuses ensures more New Yorkers can pursue a college education and the opportunities that come with it without taking on additional financial burdens.”
State Assemblymember Karen McMahon said, “The FY 2027 budget makes a bold investment in higher education and ensures its affordability and accessibility for students across New York State. With $10.6 million directed to Western New York institutions, this move will strengthen student success, expand opportunities, and support the research and workforce development that drive our region. Ensuring our local colleges and universities are supported is vital in ensuring both WNY and NYS are destinations for higher education.”
State Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera said, “A high-quality public education should be affordable and accessible to every New Yorker, regardless of their background or ZIP code. This investment in SUNY reflects our commitment to keeping tuition costs down while ensuring our campuses have the resources they need to support student success, drive groundbreaking research, and prepare the next generation of leaders and innovators. As a proud graduate of a SUNY institution, I know firsthand the opportunities our public higher education system creates. The additional support for the University at Buffalo, Buffalo State University, Alfred State College, and SUNY Fredonia will strengthen educational opportunities across Western New York while reinforcing SUNY's role as an engine of economic growth and workforce development.”
Alfred State College President Steven Mauro said, “The enacted state budget is a strong affirmation of SUNY’s role in preparing students for success. Alfred State is proud to advance that mission through applied learning, workforce development, and programs that connect students directly to in-demand careers. We appreciate the leadership of Governor Hochul, the State Legislature, Chancellor King, and the SUNY Board of Trustees, and we look forward to continuing to deliver on SUNY’s promise of access, opportunity, and excellence for New Yorkers.”
State University of New York at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi said, “We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul and the members of the Western New York delegation for their steadfast support of SUNY and UB. These investments will help UB further its mission as a premier public research university, delivering transformative education, expanding groundbreaking research and innovation, and positively impacting our region, state and world.”
SUNY Buffalo State President Bonita R. Durand said, "This commitment from Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature to institutions like Buffalo State University is a difference-maker. At Buffalo State, we offer our students a transformational academic experience where opportunities abound, working with our talented faculty and staff. With the support of our state leaders through this budget, Buffalo State can continue to offer that unmatched value at an affordable rate for students."
SUNY Fredonia President Stephen H. Kolison, Jr said, “On behalf of SUNY Fredonia, I thank Governor Hochul, Chancellor King, the SUNY Board of Trustees, and our state legislative partners for their continued commitment to public higher education. This increased support directly benefits our students by helping us sustain an affordable, high-quality academic experience and strengthen the services that help them stay on track to graduation. Investments in proven student success programs, including Advancing Completion through Engagement, are making a meaningful difference at Fredonia by connecting students with the guidance, resources and support they need to continue their education and complete their degrees. This budget is an investment in our students, their families and the future of New York.”
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.
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