New York State Budget Debrief forthe CUNY Community 

What is the state budget? How does it impact CUNY students, staff, and faculty?

Every year the governor and the state legislature decide how to allocate billions of dollars in state funding - this is when our government decides whether or not to support vulnerable, working class New Yorkers and fund public institutions and services like CUNY. For decades, New York State has been caught in a cycle of austerity - disinvestment in public services and institutions while placing the cost onto the backs of working class New Yorkers. In CUNY, this has looked like budget cuts and increases in tuition year after year. On April 6, 2021 the New York State Legislature and Governor Cuomo finalized the state budget for the fiscal year 2022. This year the movement for improving the lives of working class people won the first budget in decades that is not an austerity one. We’ve outlined what exactly this means for CUNY. 


What did we win for CUNY?

This year New York has stepped up as a national leader on many issues: a historic $2.1 billion for excluded workers, $4.3 billion in revenue from taxes to ultra-wealthy New Yorkers; a rent relief program, and fully funding K-12 by honoring the Campaign for Fiscal Equity commitments. We also won some powerful improvements for CUNY:

  • Increase in Opportunity Program budgets (such as SEEK, CUNY LEADS, College Discovery, EOP, EOC, STEP, C-STEP, and HEOP)  

  • Restoration of CUNY ASAP program

  • Increase in mental health service funding to $1 million each for CUNY and SUNY

  • Expansion of CUNY community college funding to $5.6 million 

  • Restoration of Childcare funding cuts in the final budget

  • Tuition freeze for the next year and committed to a tuition freeze for 3 years

  • Increase in maximum Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) awards to $5,665

    • Closing the TAP Gap with additional funding of $26 million for CUNY with a commitment to fully close the gap in four years 


What is left to win for CUNY?

While there were a few positive elements for CUNY within the budget, the influx will not be enough to deal with CUNY’s enormous needs. One budget alone cannot reverse five decades of disinvestment in the nation's largest urban public university system. We need to pass a New Deal for CUNY, which would:

  • Make CUNY free for in-state undergraduates

  • Hire more mental health counselors and academic advisors

  • Increase the ratio of full-time faculty to students

  • Increase compensation for adjunct faculty Create safe and accessible environments for all students by making significant capital improvements

Join the CUNY Rising Alliance. Let’s win a New Deal for CUNY!

This year, we’ve proven that organizing and mass movements can win real change for working class New Yorkers. CUNY students, staff, and faculty must continue the fight for a New Deal for CUNY and win free, high-quality public higher education. Join us and let’s win a New Deal for CUNY together!

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