Senate hearing spotlights proposed FY26 cuts to New Jersey higher education; lawmakers and presidents urge restorations

Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee Chairman Sarlow convened a May 1 hearing in Trenton on the governor's proposed fiscal 2026 higher-education budget, drawing officials from the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority and presidents from public, independent and community colleges across the state.

The hearing focused on proposed reductions that testimony and follow-up questioning said would together reduce state support for higher education by hundreds of millions of dollars. "By the time the class of 2025 walks across the graduation stage, New Jersey will have generated savings for tens of thousands of students," said Dr. Brian Bridges, Secretary of Higher Education, while framing longer-term gains the administration says prior investments have produced even as it acknowledged the budget challenges ahead.

Lawmakers and campus leaders described several specific reductions in the governor's proposal and raised consequences if the Legislature does not act to restore funds. Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway emphasized the university’s statewide role and appealed for restorations of operating and programmatic support: "We are world changing. We are life changing," he said, and urged the Legislature to restore funds that would otherwise affect access and student services.

Why it matters: Higher-education operating aid and student financial-aid programs affect tuition, enrollment decisions and day-to-day campus services. Witnesses told the committee the proposed cuts put at risk summer tuition awards, outcome-based operating allocations, county-college operating support and line items for independent and specialty programs that serve veterans and regional workforce needs.

Key figures and program…