Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Basic Needs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Students press lawmakers for more mental‑health counselors, food security, housing and transit assistance
Summary
Student leaders and campus representatives told committees that rising food insecurity, housing instability and limited mental‑health staffing threaten completion rates, and they urged targeted investments such as expanded food pantries, on‑campus counselors and a commuter MetroCard program.
Student leaders from SUNY and CUNY, and campus groups including the University Student Senate and on‑campus student governments, told the committees that rising basic‑needs gaps are a major barrier to enrollment and degree completion. CUNY and SUNY student witnesses described food pantries, spotty campus housing, and limited counseling rosters that leave long waits for services.
Key requests: Student witnesses proposed a state pilot to provide reduced‑fare or free transit (a commuter MetroCard) to CUNY students, expansion of on‑campus mental‑health staffing, more resources for campus food pantries and targeted housing support for students experiencing instability.
Evidence and scale: Testimony cited uptake at campus food pantries and examples of students traveling to campus because they lack study space or stable internet at home. Student leaders argued that modest targeted investments would improve retention and lower stop‑out rates.
Why it matters: Student testimony connected basic‑needs supports to degree attainment and workforce readiness; witnesses asked lawmakers to fund pilots and recurring supports in the FY26 budget.
