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Lawmakers, chancellors and advocates press for more higher‑education funding at FY26 budget hearing
Summary
Chancellors of SUNY and CUNY, HESC and dozens of campus and student groups told joint Assembly and Senate fiscal committees that the governor—s FY26 executive proposals leave gaps on staffing, capital repairs, campus hospitals and student services and urged the legislature to restore or increase several line items.
State higher education officials, student leaders and advocates told a joint Assembly and Senate budget hearing on Feb. 20 that New York—s proposed FY26 executive budget contains important investments but also leaves critical gaps in operating aid, student supports and capital funding. The bipartisan panel of lawmakers heard two chancellors, the head of the Higher Education Services Corporation and scores of campus and student representatives over a daylong session that ranged from SUNY and CUNY labor costs to campus mental health, food insecurity, and community college capacity.
Why it matters: Witnesses said the state—s public college systems and private nonprofit campuses are recovering enrollment but remain fragile after years of underinvestment; several testifiers told legislators that underfunding could force program cuts, exacerbate campus deficits or stall urgent capital projects, including hospital modernization projects at SUNY Downstate and Upstate.
Chancellors, funding leads and campus groups focused on several recurring themes: closing a remaining gap in funding for CUNY—s recently ratified union contract, restoring or growing opportunity programs such as HEOP/EOP, STEP and C STEP, and adding operating dollars so community colleges can absorb a proposed free‑tuition rollout for adults without running daily deficits. Officials from the Higher Education Services Corporation detailed continued work on FAFSA modernization and expanding TAP and part‑time TAP access. Student leaders pressed for more mental‑health counselors, food and housing support, campus repairs and affordable commuting options.
Across the hour‑by‑hour testimony, witnesses repeatedly called for the legislature to restore program cuts in the executive proposal and to consider targeted, direct allocations for distressed campuses, rather than only system‑level increases. Several witnesses also warned that possible federal cuts to research and grant programs could magnify state funding shortfalls.
What lawmakers will decide next: This hearing was informational; no votes were taken. Lawmakers said they would weigh amendments as they finalize FY26 spending in coming weeks. Advocates asked the legislature to preserve or increase funding levels for student supports, restore proposed cuts to pipeline programs, and consider one‑time and recurring capital allocations for aging campuses and teaching hospitals.
Ending note: The hearing underscored a common view among witnesses: the state—s higher‑education systems are central to workforce development and local economies, but recent progress depends on continued—and in some areas greater—state support.
