State lawmakers are working with union members to push for higher investments for New York's higher education system in the next budget as they begin to compile their wish lists for the Legislature's counter proposals to the governor's executive spending plan.
It's no surprise lawmakers want increased support for the state and city's public colleges and universities from Gov. Kathy Hochul's $233 billion budget released last week. There's $207 million for SUNY and CUNY campuses, including $54 million in general operating aid for SUNY and a combined $1.2 billion for capital projects. But the Legislature plans to pose more money to support higher education in New York as systemwide deficits threaten to hit $1 billion over the next decade.
"We do want to go further because we think there is more of a need," said Assembly Higher Education Committee chair Pat Fahy. "...We know the feds are not doing as much as we want them to do."
Fahy and Senate Higher Education Committee chair Toby Ann Stavisky are working with United University Professions, the labor union that represents most of SUNY's faculty and staff, to secure more state aid in the final budget due April 1.
UUP wants a total of $139 million to help distressed SUNY campuses, up from the $54 million, and $110 million in additional aid to support student programs and services.
"We've got to make sure our students are educated," said Fahy, an Albany Democrat. "My focus this year is on the students — we know we have some challenges with enrollment."
Lawmakers agree it's the wrong time to increase tuition, and are pleased Hochul's budget didn't propose an increase like last year. Hochul and the Legislature reached a multi-year agreement that the state would cover proposed 3% tuition hikes with additional operating aid.
Fahy and Stavisky are leading the charge to recalculate the state's Tuition Assistance Program grants this year to help low- and middle-income New Yorkers afford to continue their education.
They want to increase TAP grant awards by $1,000 and expand income thresholds to at least $110,000 to enable more students to be eligible for aid.
Stavisky noted SUNY tuition is about $7,000 per year, while TAP awards remain under $6,000.
"So there's a gap between what it actually costs and what the state provides," the senator said. "We've got to do something about it. ...We have to change the eligibility. It hasn't been changed in over 20 years."
Stavisky also supports eliminating student fees to make state colleges and universities more affordable and boost enrollment.
The state has spent more than $1 billion in its SUNY and CUNY campuses in the last two years after years of underfunding.
Hochul has warned last year's $163 million operating increase to SUNY was a one-time investment that cannot be sustained. But lawmakers and union members Thursday argued that can't be the case if enrollment numbers will continue a new upward trend.
SUNY Chancellor John King maintains increased revenue for SUNY will be needed in the coming years to offset an expected $1 billion shortfall to its 64 campuses over the next decade.
"And that means either dollars would have to come from the state or the state would have to impose a tuition increase, but one of those would have to be true in order to cover growing costs," King told Capital Tonight on Wednesday.
SUNY enrollment increased this year for the first time in over a decade — up more than 4%, King said.
Brad Hershenson, a graduate student and organizer with UAlbany's Graduate Student Employees Union CWA Local 1104, says the union will also push for the recreation of TAP grants for graduate students int he final budget to further boost enrollment.
The benefit was eliminated for graduate students in the state in 2010 in wake of the Great Recession.
"Introducing graduate TAP is really going to help put money in our students' pockets to cover the costs associated with pursuing a degree," Hershenson said. "For example, students have to pay for laptops, textbooks, other costs and expenses related to the research at SUNY."