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Students and advocates press for more mental‑health, food, housing and transit supports during budget talks
Summary
Student leaders, service providers and advocates told the committees that non‑tuition costs — housing, childcare, food and transportation — are increasingly barriers to degree completion. Student groups pushed for pilot metro‑card programs, expanded food‑pantry funding and more on‑campus counseling.
Students, campus advocates and support organizations told the joint fiscal committees that the state budget must address non‑tuition barriers that impede degree completion. Student leaders from SUNY and CUNY described food insecurity, unreliable internet and transportation costs as principal obstacles for many students juggling work, family and coursework.
University Student Senate Chair Daniel Redden, and CUNY student leaders urged state support for a commuter metro‑card program and pointed to a student pilot request included in the institutions’ budget submissions. “Transportation is a major barrier to student success,” Redden said, urging a state‑funded partnership between CUNY and the MTA to reduce fare‑related absences and support retention.
Food insecurity and housing instability also drew attention. Student speakers and representatives from Catholic Charities’ anti‑hunger coalition urged expanded funding for campus food pantries and Nourish New York‑style procurement programs to keep campus pantries stocked and support student families. OnPoint for College and OnPoint students described wraparound navigation services that help students stay enrolled and graduate.
Mental‑health staffing was a recurring request. Students and system leaders called for more on‑campus counselors and telehealth options; SUNY and CUNY leaders said additional recurring funding is needed to expand counseling services to meet growing demand.
Why it matters: Non‑tuition costs are often the decisive factor in whether an enrolled student completes a degree. Advocates said small investments in transit, food, housing supports and counseling can sharply improve persistence and graduation rates.
Ending note: Student leaders asked the Legislature to fund pilot metro‑card programs, increase campus food‑pantry and student‑basic‑needs investments and boost mental‑health staffing in the FY 2026 budget.
