SUNY Chancellor King Announces Additional Programs to Assist with Student Basic Needs
September 2, 2026
Through State Funding Allocated in the 2026-27 Enacted State Budget, SUNY will Establish Emergency Aid Programs on All 64 Campuses
Additional Programs Will Support Foster Youth and Formerly Homeless Students as They Transition into College
Part of SUNY’s Robust Basic Needs Agenda
Albany, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced basic needs programs to expand student emergency aid at SUNY campuses, as well as to assist foster youth and formerly homeless students. The first program will establish emergency aid grants on all 64 SUNY campuses to ensure all students can afford to remain enrolled and complete their studies.
"There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and it is vital our students have access to the resources they need to feel supported at every stage of their academic journey," said SUNY Chancellor King. "With Governor Hochul’s expansion of SUNY’s emergency aid program to all of our campuses, more of our students will have the support they need when a sudden challenge arises. SUNY is committed to addressing needs like food insecurity, housing insecurity, transportation, and child care in order to help our students thrive and complete their studies."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "Through the steadfast support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature, SUNY has been able to invest in programs that remove barriers and ensure our students have the resources they need to thrive. SUNY remains committed to continuing our work to advance initiatives that will increase access to essential resources for all of our students."
Through $600,000 in funding allocated in the 2026-27 Enacted State Budget, student emergency aid grants will be established on all 64 SUNY campuses, ensuring all SUNY students have access to this emergency support.
Previously, emergency aid funds spanned 47 of SUNY's colleges and universities, and through the funding allocated in the 2026-27 Enacted State Budget, every SUNY campus will have an emergency aid fund available to students. This builds on SUNY's November 2025 expansion of student emergency aid at 10 community colleges through a grant from the Gates Foundation.
A recent national survey found that the majority of U.S. college students could not cover a $500 unexpected expense. Emergency aid funds can be used to assist students with costs associated with unexpected events such as a car breakdown, emergency housing situation, medical crisis, death in the family, or technology failure like a laptop breaking. These funds ensure that these costs do not prevent a student from completing their degree.
Additionally, starting this year, SUNY is providing a "college essentials kit" for foster youth and formerly homeless students. Through the program, included in the 2026 State of the University Agenda, foster youth and formerly homeless students will have access to increased student engagement efforts and will also be provided with residence halls essential kits with items and supplies they may need to live on campus.
Students who experience homelessness and foster youth often face severe financial challenges, which can be intensified by not feeling a sense of belonging on campus. In order to assist foster youth and students who have experienced homelessness as they transition to college, and support a greater sense of belonging, SUNY will implement a program to provide "residence halls essentials" to help equip students’ rooms. The kits will include resources including extra-long sheets and other basic supplies that students may need to live on campus that may be an unexpected expense.
Since 2023, every SUNY campus has been directed to appoint a homeless liaison, whose job is to ensure that students experiencing homelessness receive the academic, financial, and wrap-around support they need to succeed and thrive. In addition, for the past decade, SUNY has served students participating in the Foster Youth College Success Initiative, a program administered by the New York State Education Department that provides resources for adults who previously received foster care services to continue their educational journey, as well as students with a ward of court and orphancy background.
State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, said, "As September marks the beginning of the school year for students throughout the state, we should be meeting them halfway, with sheets, towels, emergency aid, and other small things that can improve their college experience. I thank Chancellor King, his staff, and the SUNY Board of Trustees for their commitment to the personal attention, basic needs, and academic success of our students."
State Senator Patricia Fahy said, "SUNY invests deeply in the success of their students not only academically, but personally as well when it comes to the cost of holistic higher education. Encouraging young people to pursue higher education is only successful if we support them with the academic and financial resources they need to thrive. Expanding student support for foster youth and formerly homeless students as they pursue their degrees will allow these students to live on campus with increased independence and confidence. I want to thank SUNY Chancellor John B. King and the SUNY Administration for their continued efforts to make higher education accessible and set New York’s students up for success, regardless of background."
State Senator Robert Jackson said, "A student should not have to choose between carrying the weight of the past and carrying the tools needed to build a future. By expanding support for foster youth and students who have experienced homelessness, SUNY is affirming what should be fundamental to public education: dignity is not an extra, stability is not a luxury, and opportunity must come with the support to make it real."
State Senator Lea Webb said, "Success in college should not depend on whether a student can afford basic needs for their daily care. It is important that our students know they will have support from their SUNY campus and the community at large, through unexpected emergencies or when they simply fall on hard times. I look forward to continuing my work on the Senate Higher Education committee, breaking down barriers and making higher education more accessible and affordable for students across the state."
State Assemblymember Alicia L. Hyndman, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, said, "Students from every background, including foster and formerly homeless youths, have a right to improve their circumstances by attending college or a university. By expanding student supports, whether through residence hall essentials, homeless liaisons, or the expansion of emergency aid, the 2026 State of the University agenda provides aid in the form of basic supplies, wraparound services and more, which will give them the leg up to succeed. I want to thank SUNY Chancellor John B. King, and the SUNY Board of Trustees for championing these initiatives."
State Assemblymember Sarah Clark said, "For students who have experienced foster care or homelessness, the transition to college can come with challenges and unexpected expenses that many of their peers already have the support systems to navigate. Something as simple as purchasing sheets, bedding, or other essentials should never be a barrier to pursuing a degree. I am grateful to Chancellor King and SUNY for recognizing that supporting students means looking beyond the classroom and ensuring they have the stability and resources necessary to succeed. By strengthening these supports and meeting students where, SUNY is helping make sure that a student’s past circumstances do not determine their ability to thrive in college."
State Assemblymember Gabriella A. Romero said, "Every student deserves the opportunity to enter college with the tools and support they need to succeed. For foster youth and students who have experienced homelessness, something as simple as having sheets, supplies, and a safe space to call home can make an enormous difference during an already challenging transition, and the expansion of emergency aid will help make sure all students won’t have their education interrupted during an unexpected emergency I’m proud to see SUNY expanding these supports and making sure that students across New York have the opportunity not just to go to college, but to thrive once they get there."
EdTrust-New York Deputy Director Jeff Smink said, "EdTrust-New York supports SUNY’s expansion of emergency aid to every campus. This investment advances equity by ensuring that every student, regardless of background or financial circumstances, can access a safety net when unexpected challenges arise. Emergency aid helps students overcome financial barriers, stay enrolled, focus on their studies, and graduate. The additional funding in the 2026-27 state budget demonstrates New York’s commitment to making higher education more accessible and ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive."
Sara Abelson, Assistant Professor, The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs, said, "Too many students are one unexpected expense away from stopping out and don't know where to turn. Emergency aid, and other centralized basic needs initiatives, are essential to keeping these students enrolled. Yet these programs can only be successful when they are sufficiently funded, and students know they exist. We applaud today's announcement from Chancellor King and the SUNY Board of Trustees that all SUNY colleges and universities will have an emergency aid program, and that students experiencing homelessness and former foster youth will have more resources to help them navigate their program. We look forward to working with the SUNY system to ensure and document the success of these efforts."
Carrie Klein, associate vice president at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO), who is leading SHEEO's Basic Needs Data Academy initiative aimed at improving integration of postsecondary basic needs information into state policy and action, said, "SUNY has made significant strides in using basic needs information to better support students - emerging as a leading state in this work."
Mike Nylund, President & CEO of Scholarship America, the nation's largest scholarship administrator, said, "No student should have to drop out of school to pay an unexpected bill. Emergency aid programs like SUNY's are a proven, vital component of full-spectrum financial aid, and a small emergency grant can truly make a life-changing difference for students struggling to meet basic needs."
Barbara Duffield, Executive Director of SchoolHouse Connection, said, "Students who have experienced homelessness or foster care often arrive on campus without the basic supplies other students take for granted, and often without anyone to help them move in. The essentials kits fill a significant gap on their first day, and signal to students that they belong. Both matter for persistence and completion, and we applaud SUNY for recognizing and responding to these needs."
Jaime Hansen, CEO of Swipe Out Hunger, said, "These programs are a win-win for both students and the SUNY system. When more students are encouraged to succeed in higher education, institutions see greater retention rates. These resources will not only ensure that students have access to viable programs that treat them with dignity, but will help SUNY continue to set an example for higher education systems across the country."
Kirsten E. Keefe, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, New York, The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) said, "Governor Kathy Hochul and Chancellor John B. King, Jr. understand that small financial emergencies should never stand between students and a college credential. The $600,000 allocation to SUNY for emergency grant programs is a smart investment that will help low-income students stay enrolled when unexpected costs arise—whether for medical care, housing, transportation, childcare, or other basic needs. By establishing emergency grant programs across SUNY campuses, New York is taking an important step to ensure that temporary setbacks do not derail students’ path to completion and long-term opportunity."
Bryan Ashton, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer at Trellis and Head of Trellis Strategies, said, "Today’s modern learners are navigating higher education alongside real financial pressures. Our annual Student Financial Wellness Survey found that more than half face at least one form of basic needs insecurity, from food and housing challenges to unexpected financial emergencies. Those burdens weigh most heavily on the students who can least afford them. SUNY's investment in emergency aid and support for foster and formerly homeless students meets that reality head-on, and we're excited to see this continued investment in postsecondary education attainment."
Christina Dukes, Founder and Principal of Pearl Strategies, said, "When campuses remove barriers like food and housing insecurity, they pave the way for students to focus on their education and not whether their basic needs are met. This $600,000 investment will help SUNY institutions do just that. Pearl Strategies applauds New York State and the SUNY System for recognizing that supporting students outside the classroom is vital to helping them graduate and move on to a bright future."
Sean Henry Miller, Northeast Regional Director for Young Invincibles, said, "No student should be forced to decide between paying rent, buying food, and completing their education. Emergency aid and basic needs funds like this are essential to ensuring all students thrive and succeed on campus. Young Invincibles NY, our NY Postsecondary Basic Needs Coalition, and student advocates have been pushing for these things for years. We are grateful for Chancellor King’s and Governor Hochul’s support, making statewide emergency aid and basic needs programs a reality at every NY public university starting this year."
SUNY is committed to expanding access to essential resources for students. In March, Chancellor King joined students for a roundtable to discuss how emergency aid grants have made the pathway to higher education more accessible. In January, SUNY announced the expansion of basic needs programs including food lockers, projects to address housing security, and programs to fill transportation gaps. SUNY also announced awards from the Mental Health First Aid Grant Program to strengthen campus-wide approaches to student mental health and well-being across the SUNY System. In November 2025, SUNY expanded the student emergency aid grant program at 10 community colleges through a $350,000 grant from the Gates Foundation, and Governor Hochul’s FY2026-27 Executive Budget includes $600,000 in dedicated state support for SUNY to expand campus emergency aid grant programs.
SUNY launched the emergency aid pilot program in 2017 at seven campuses, supported by $600,000 in grants from Gerstner Philanthropies and the Heckscher Foundation for Children. In November 2025, Governor Hochul announced $550,000 in emergency assistance for SUNY’s community college food pantries to combat the food insecurity crisis. SUNY also offers the Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), which provides access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from low-income backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. Fact sheets outlining SUNY’s commitment to basic needs can be found here and here.
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
