Senate panel advances bill to phase out some mandatory graduate fees, cites $6.8 million CUNY impact estimate

The New York State Senate Committee on Higher Education voted March 4, 2025, to report Senate Bill 3458 to the Senate Finance Committee after a substantive discussion about fiscal impacts and the effect on graduate assistants’ incomes.

Senate Bill 3458, introduced by Senator Stavisky, would phase out certain mandatory university fees beginning in 2026 for graduate students serving as graduate teaching assistants, graduate assistants, graduate research assistants, graduate research associates, or graduate teaching associates while preserving the Graduate Student Association activity fee. Committee records show no memos in opposition.

Members asked for fiscal detail before voting. A fiscal estimate cited in the discussion put the impact on the City University of New York at roughly $6.8 million, a figure referenced during debate but not tied to a specific witness in the transcript. Senators also described the typical stipend for many graduate assistants as modest; Senator Jackson said graduate teaching assistants often receive about $11,000 in annual pay and that mandatory fees can effectively reduce that income.

One committee member argued fees can act like a ‘‘company store’’ deduction when colleges require fees that are paid back to the institution, reducing assistants’ take‑home pay. Committee members pressed staff and sponsors on whether fee reductions should instead be folded into tuition or handled through broader long‑range financial planning.

Senator Jackson moved the bill; Senator May seconded. The committee voted in favor and reported the bill to the Finance Committee for further fiscal review.

Staff and lawmakers signaled they expect further fiscal analysis in Finance before any final legislative action.

The committee’s vote moves the measure forward for budget‑level consideration of fiscal impacts and implementation details.