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NYS Seal For Immediate Release:
April 9, 2008

 

Assembly Provides Increased Funding And Capital
In Budget For SUNY And CUNY

Silver, Farrell and Glick will support continued innovation
and excellence in higher education


Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Ways and Means Committee Chair Herman D. Farrell Jr. and Higher Education Committee Chair Deborah Glick announced today that the SFY 2008-09 State Budget will contain $15.5 billion in operating assistance and capital to public universities across the state. The funding will support additional tuition assistance, research facilities, revitalization and essential programs to our university systems.

"This additional funding will help reinforce New York's efforts to become a higher education leader through advanced research and better facilities," said Silver (D-Manhattan). "SUNY and CUNY represent the future of our state and this aid will help ensure that our schools will be among the best for generations to come. Our schools are our future and the Assembly Majority is proud to support them and will continue to help them attract more students and high-tech industry."

"This budget restores funding for both SUNY and CUNY to continue our efforts to make certain schools are meeting the needs of our communities. Our commitment to restoring the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) will ensure continued access to higher education," said Glick (D-Manhattan). "By restoring initial cuts and strengthening support for programs, we're helping to ensure New York's college campuses are both accessible and affordable."

"We are pleased to have brought this support to our New York public higher education systems. This effort is a critical step in keeping our schools a central part of economic development efforts throughout the state and strengthening our public higher education systems. This budget is a realistic plan that provides important funding to help faculty and administrators continue to provide our students and communities with educational excellence," said Farrell (D-Manhattan).

The lawmakers said this legislation will bring $38.4 million in operating assistance to SUNY and provides $19.6 million in aid to CUNY which will totally restore the 2.5 percent cut in operating aid to both systems, as well as partial restorations to prior operating aid cuts. The budget will also include $390.1 million in additional assistance to SUNY Community Colleges and $207 million to CUNY Community Colleges.

The budget provides $1.6 billion for SUNY and CUNY will receive over $1.1 billion for strategically significant capital projects at senior colleges. Nearly $1 billion will go to SUNY and CUNY for critical maintenance.

The final state budget will bring $450 million in capital to SUNY hospital backed projects. In addition, nearly $5 million is earmarked for nursing education programs, including nearly $2 million in funding to SUNY nursing schools, nearly $2 million for CUNY schools, and nearly $1 million for nursing programs at private colleges and universities.

Highlights of the bill would provide:

  • $15.4 million in restoration to the TAP program, rejecting a $50 across the board cut to all TAP recipients;
  • No tuition increase for SUNY and CUNY in 2008-09;
  • $4.1 billion to SUNY and $1.8 billion to CUNY for capital projects as part of a new five-year plan.

The budget plan supports restoring opportunity programs such as Higher Educational Opportunity Program, Educational Opportunity Program, the Liberty Partnership Program, and College Discovery to funding levels enhanced by the Legislature in 2007-08. Additional restorations are provided for teacher opportunity and nursing programs at independent colleges to 2007-08 funding levels.

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NOTE: Visit http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/comm/WAM/2008sunycuny/ for the complete 2008-09 SUNY and CUNY Capital Plan.