In the midst of budget negotiations, the state Capitol was buzzing with activity as advocates and legislators met to talk about the issues they wanted to address in the budget.
Education leaders rallied for funding for public universities, colleges and universities and tuition assistance from Higher Education Commissioners Toby Stavisky and Patricia Fay.
We know we can continue to turn things around with more money this year.
It is therefore essential to increase that funding again towards the final days of the budget. New York, New York, the Capitol, hospitals, and of course, open the taps. Because we need to let our students know that we support them. .
To learn more about how the state should approach funding higher education this year, we spoke with New York State Chancellor John King.
[ THEME MUSIC ] President, thank you very much for attending today.
I'm really looking forward to speaking with you.
Of course, I wanted to start with the budget.
We expect the final state budget to be released, hopefully within the next few weeks.
So I wanted to hear your perspective on what you hope to see secured in the final state budget.
As of last year, SUNY has been able to secure millions of dollars in recurring operating funds, as well as funding for transformation efforts.
So heading into the final weeks of this year's state budget, how did you expect the state to build on investments from last year?
We are extremely grateful for the investment made in our students by the Governor and Legislature last year, and we hope to build on that investment this year.
The Governor proposed a $54 million increase in operating assistance.
This is a good start. We look forward to discussing how we can best support our students in the coming weeks.
As you know, last year's aid increases allowed us to invest in mental health services, expanded support for students with disabilities, and expanded internships across campus with the goal of ultimately We would like all Sunny students to have an internship experience. Think back to their undergraduate days.
This allows us to expand our research across campus.
So if you want to build on that, capital is very important.
We make sure our academic buildings are state-of-the-art, allowing us to build lab space that helps our campus compete, whether it's training talent for the semiconductor industry or conducting research on climate change. is needed. Research space for the health sciences is desperately needed, and I look forward to having a robust conversation in the coming weeks about how we will continue to strengthen SUNY to be the best public higher education system in the country. Masu.
Also, from your perspective, what does long-term capital investment in the Sunny campus from the state look like to ensure sustainability?
Look, we have over $7 billion in unpaid capital, we have critical maintenance that needs to be done on buildings across the state, and we own 40 percent of the state's public buildings.
So if we are to reach net zero and achieve the state's goal of truly transitioning to renewable energy, SUNY must lead the way.
Therefore, keeping your facilities up to date and ensuring that you are using renewable energy requires significant ongoing investment each year.
I wanted to ask you about the FAFSA because I know you were part of a roundtable discussion on the universal FAFSA application last week. This bill essentially requires high school students to complete the FAFSA application in addition to the TAP application.
So why is that something that you support, and to students who are interested in attending Sunny but may not necessarily be interested in filling out the FAFSA application for whatever reason? Could you please unpack what impact that might have?
absolutely.
Therefore, the FAFSA is a free application for federal student aid.
This is truly the gateway to receiving federal and state financial aid to attend college.
When people receive financial aid, attending college becomes more affordable and accessible.
In fact, at SUNY, more than 52 percent of students receive tuition-free tuition thanks to the federal Pell Grant program, the state tuition assistance program, and the state Excelsior program.
We want to give our students that access.
That means you have to fill out a form.
This year it's a new shape.
Simpler and shorter.
That's why we hope that 12th graders, those interested in attending college, and working adults will take advantage of this moment to go online, fill out the FAFSA, and find out how much aid is available to them. I'm here.
The governor's proposal would allow high school students and their families to complete the FAFSA or Dream Act application if they are undocumented or if the student can sign a waiver saying “I have free money to go to college.” We guarantee that we will help you do so. GE, but I don't want any of it.
But we know that attending college can increase your lifetime earnings by millions of dollars, and we want to make sure every student has that opportunity.
Attending college can be the key to success into the middle class.
absolutely.
I would like to ask you about TAP Funding.
That's why, in addition to the FAFSA, School Board Chairs Patricia Fay and Toby Stavisky are also calling for increased TAP funding.
So is that a measure you support?
What discussions have you had about school board funding for New York City this year?
Yeah.
Look, I'm very grateful for the leadership of Chairman FAHY and Chairman STAVISKY.
They are both passionate about higher education, not just SUNY, but broader.
Conversations about tap are important.
The tap income level, or maximum income level, is $80,000.
80,000 since 2000.
If this had gone up with inflation, it would have been $145,000. That means a program that was previously available to a much wider range of New Yorkers has shrunk because we haven't raised that income threshold.
That's a very important conversation.
The income threshold for independent students is $10,000.
It hasn't changed since the 80's.
That has to change.
So I'm really grateful to the chairs for leading this conversation.
As you know, this is a complex budget year.
Resources are limited.
There are many competing demands, but investing in students, young people, and working adults looking to get ahead in the workforce is an investment that will help our state's economy in the long term.
And the really, really big news that I saw was that enrollment at SUNY increased for the first time in 10 years from fall 2022 to fall 2023. Increased by 1.1%. And I know you're working towards an increase. Registration when first appointed to the role.
So, can you talk to me about the impact of this and the efforts that you and your team have been making?
I understand that you have done some level of advocacy to help with registration.
We are really excited about the increase in enrollment.
Like you said, it's been 10 years.
Specifically, first-time student enrollment increased by more than 4%.
This bodes very well for the long-term health of SUNY's overall system.
We make great efforts to recruit students.
We want every New Yorker to know there is a place for them at SUNY.
One of the things we did last year was send a letter to all New York students outside of New York City letting them know there was a place for them at their local community college. The letter said, “Scan this QR code to get started.” Since you are already enrolled at your local community college, choose your program and classes.
We also do a lot of work in partnership with high schools, community-based organizations, and faith-based organizations to help students understand the variety of opportunities available within New York State.
If you want a great engineering program, there's the University at Buffalo in Binghamton, New York.
If you're interested in climate change and environmental justice issues, Syracuse is home to the College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
If you want an opportunity to prepare for a career in the semiconductor industry, perhaps a one-year certification, we have community colleges with great programs that can lead to jobs at Micron.
We want our students to know all of these possibilities.
If you love the arts, you'll enjoy the great programs at SUNY PURCHASE and SUNY FREDONIA.
We strive to educate students about the great value proposition that SUNY has to offer.
Excellence at an affordable price.
So how do you move forward with these efforts to ensure that your enrollment numbers continue to trend upward?
Yeah.
So we're working very hard on that.
One of the things we did this fall was work with New York City school principals to send a letter to every student in New York City informing them of the various opportunities available to them in New York City.
We are also working to increase the number of students transferring from community colleges to four-year universities to ensure a smooth career path for students.
I recently attended the announcement that the University at Albany and Hudson Valley Community College are partnering on a dual enrollment program. There, students will know the moment they enroll at Hudson Valley Community College that they can enroll in college at the same time. bunny.
Get your Australia Albany ID
They can participate in extracurricular activities at U Albany.
That's the kind of thing we want to do to make sure we're putting our students on a path to success.
And of course I wanted to touch base in Sunny Downstate.
I understand that it's the only state-run facility in New York City, and it's facing a lot of financial challenges, and there's been some discussion about repurposing services to solve those problems.
So how are you going to work with the Legislature to find a solution that everyone agrees to, that there's some compromise, that everyone is happy with?
Yeah.
The conversation is certainly ongoing.
The hospital operates at an annual deficit of approximately $100 million, both of which are financially challenged and require large amounts of capital.
The building has had no investment in it for decades and is on the verge of a truly catastrophic collapse.
So we must act now.
The governor committed $500 million in funding.
200 million to cover the deficit this year and next.
A capital investment of $300 million to construct a new outpatient facility.
That's the starting point for the conversation.
We continue to discuss our path forward with legislators and local leaders.
The key for us is to protect New York's College of Health Sciences, the diverse doctors, nurses, and medical professionals who are the source of our state's health care.
So we have to protect it and we want to expand health services for the community.
Whether you're an inpatient or an outpatient, preventive care is very important and we want to make sure we provide it.
Well, that's all for today. Thank you for your time, Mr. Chairman.
thank you.
We have been speaking with Chancellor John B. King Jr. of Sunny University.
thank you.
