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SUNY Ulster presents balanced 2026–27 budget plan and asks Ulster County for increased support
Summary
SUNY Ulster President Lisonbee Buckley and VP Michael Schreiber presented the college's tentative 2026–27 budget, saying tuition will remain flat and enrollment growth provides revenue; college leaders asked the county to increase its maintenance-of-effort support by $475,000.
SUNY Ulster officials presented the college's tentative 2026–27 budget to the Ulster County Legislature on May 19, stressing affordability and workforce training while asking the county for additional support.
"This budget reflects a careful balance between fiscal responsibility, affordability for students, and the operational realities facing higher education," SUNY Ulster President Lisonbee Buckley told the legislature. Buckley noted the college served more than 6,100 students in the 2024–25 academic year across credit and noncredit programs and highlighted programs that support adult learners.
Michael Schreiber, SUNY Ulster's vice president for administration and finance, outlined key fiscal drivers and said the budget keeps tuition flat. He told legislators the college expects increased revenue from higher enrollment and non‑county billables, and he requested the county increase its maintenance‑of‑effort contribution by $475,000 to help cover rising costs including health insurance and contractual salary obligations.
Schreiber provided a funding breakdown presented to the legislature: student tuition and fees account for about 33% of funding, the county about 23%, the state about 21%, other sources 15%, federal 5%, and fund balance about 3%. Schreiber cited major cost pressures including projected increases in health insurance ($657,000), other employee benefits ($452,000), and contractual salary obligations ($844,000). He also said the college budgets for fuel at $3.87 per gallon and is pursuing shared services and energy-efficiency measures to manage costs.
Public comment on the college budget included Robert Jacobson, chair of the SUNY Ulster board of trustees, who described his personal connection to the college and urged continued support; student trustee Gunnar Bednarz spoke about the college's role in enabling students to work while studying and benefit from scholarship programs; and longtime instructor Jules Albertini urged investment in the Stone Ridge campus.
What happens next: The public hearing moved to comment and then closed that portion of the agenda; questions about final county appropriations will be addressed during the county budget process and in committee review.
Why it matters: SUNY Ulster officials framed the county investment as supporting affordable higher education, workforce development and economic mobility for Ulster County residents.
