SUNY Chancellor King and Board of Trustees Announce $1.9 Million State Budget Investment in SUNY’s Affordable Excellence in the Greater Rochester 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 $1.9 million allocated to SUNY campuses in the Greater Rochester 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 Greater Rochester Region, SUNY has allocated:
- $1.2 million allocated to SUNY Brockport; $9.08 million allocated since FY 2023
- $700,000 allocated to SUNY Geneseo; $6.41 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 Samra Brouk said, “Access to education creates opportunities for New Yorkers to succeed. That’s why the New York State legislature took meaningful action to support students with $54 million in new Direct State Tax Support to help keep students on their paths to obtaining college degrees. With a $1.9 million allocation to the Greater Rochester Region, this investment supports equity in higher education to ensure our residents thrive.”
State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “The SUNY system under the leadership of Chancellor King is renowned nationwide for providing a top-of-the-line education that is accessible and affordable. As the son of a former SUNY educator, it is always my privilege to fight to support our institutions, faculty, and students. I was proud to work with Governor Hochul and my Greater Rochester Delegation colleagues to secure this increase and create an even brighter future for our system in New York.”
State Senator Pam Helming said, “SUNY Geneseo plays an important role in our region, providing students with a high-quality education, driving economic opportunity, and helping build the workforce of tomorrow. This investment helps keep costs down for students while strengthening SUNY Geneseo’s role in workforce development and innovation. We have already seen how investments in SUNY Geneseo can encourage private-sector partnerships, including Kodak’s support for the new Advanced Electrophysiology Lab. Partnerships like this help attract new research and job opportunities, create valuable experiences for students, and contribute to the continued growth of our regional economy.”
State Assemblymember Andrea K. Bailey said, “I am pleased to see SUNY Geneseo receive an additional $700,000 in direct state support as part of this year’s budget. As a cornerstone institution in the 133rd Assembly District, SUNY Geneseo plays a vital role in educating future leaders, supporting local jobs, and contributing to the economic vitality of Livingston County and the greater Finger Lakes region. Keeping higher education affordable while ensuring our campuses have the resources they need to provide a quality education is important for students, families, and our communities. SUNY Geneseo’s continued success benefits not only those who attend the college, but also the businesses, organizations, and residents who call our region home. I look forward to seeing how this investment helps strengthen opportunities for current and future students while continuing to make Geneseo a destination for academic excellence.”
State Assemblymember Sarah Clark said, “As a SUNY alum and a member of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, I know that a SUNY education remains one of the best pathways to opportunity, economic mobility, and a strong future for students across New York. Investments like these help ensure SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo can continue providing a world class education while keeping college affordable and accessible for working families in the Rochester area. I am proud to support funding that strengthens our public universities, expands opportunity for students, and invests in the next generation of leaders, innovators, and workers who will help drive our region forward.”
SUNY Brockport President Heidi Macpherson said, “We are incredibly grateful to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for their continued support of SUNY. Our students will benefit directly from so many of these investments that promote academic excellence and career preparation. SUNY Brockport is especially appreciative for the increase in capital funding that will help to address the critical maintenance issues on our campus and across the SUNY system.”
SUNY Geneseo President Melinda Treadwell said, "As New York’s public honors college, SUNY Geneseo is deeply grateful to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for their strong support and continued investment in SUNY, and to Chancellor King for is strong advocacy on SUNYs behalf. Their commitment enables institutions like Geneseo to hold firmly to our distinctive identity while expanding opportunities for our students. This budget helps to prevent tuition increases and strengthens our access mission in meaningful ways. We will join other SUNY campuses with our participation in the ASAP|ACE initiative, which will help more students persist and succeed. At the same time, critical capital investments will allow us to advance our campus in tangible, lasting ways. We thank Governor Hochul and legislative leaders for their vision and partnership, ensuring SUNY and Geneseo remain engines of academic excellence, access, and opportunity for all New Yorkers.”
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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