Subject:
Thank You for your Support!
Message:
Dear Legislator:
As a constituent who cares deeply about public higher education, I write to thank you for adding funding to your one-house budget proposal to support the State University of New York and the City University of New York. This additional funding is crucial to move New York closer to achieving a New Deal for Higher Education, a policy proposal that reimagines a system that helps students seamlessly transition from public K-12 classrooms to the lecture halls of New York state's world-class network of public colleges and universities.
Sadly, years of underfunding have led to a steady decline in critical support for students' academic progress and success. While the last state budget cycle made meaningful investments in public higher education, the need is still great. In fact, many public colleges and universities have been forced to raise tuition or make cuts to academic programs and student services to survive. These cuts disproportionately affect low-income and Black and brown communities. Every student deserves access to affordable and accessible higher education — this means public colleges and universities that are in our communities, and do not break the bank. New York state must continue to invest in and strengthen SUNY, CUNY and community colleges.
Additionally, SUNY's three teaching hospitals at Stony Brook, Downstate and Upstate are crucial to training healthcare professionals, many of whom choose to remain and work in New York. Enhanced education and training at these institutions are key to promoting economic mobility and reducing disparities. Achieving this requires quality, accessible public higher education, backed by operational support, student services and sufficient capital funding to support aging infrastructure and a new and improved facility at SUNY Downstate.
To meet these objectives, our campuses require additional operating support, student supports and funding to ensure that higher education is accessible.
New York's public higher education institutions provide a high-quality education to students from low- and middle-income backgrounds and engage in groundbreaking research. Yet, they have long been constrained by limited budgets. To improve student experiences, retention and graduation rates, significant increases in state operating aid are essential. This funding will allow for more full-time faculty and fairer pay for adjunct faculty.
College students today face increasing challenges in staying enrolled, a situation exacerbated by COVID-19. Public higher education institutions in New York serve a diverse array of students, including many first-generation students. A majority of those pursuing a public higher education in New York state are students of color from families with incomes below the state average. For most CUNY students, the university provides their only access to mental health counseling and academic support. Additionally, food insecurity is a significant issue among these students.
Students choose New York's public colleges and universities because they are readily accessible and offer exceptional education, which leads to new opportunities. However, shifting the financial burden from the state to students and their families has decreased access to the quality education they deserve. Investment in SUNY and CUNY not only benefits students, but also provides substantial returns for New York's tax base. Continuously imposing costs on students instead of providing public funding undermines their success, leading to prolonged student loan debt and putting a drag on New York's economy. We advocate for investing in CUNY, SUNY and community colleges to enhance access to public higher education without extra costs to students. Although SUNY and CUNY both provide a top-quality education, they differ in structure, operation, handling of costs, fees and mandatory expenses. Achieving affordable or free education necessitates funding that caters to the specific needs of each system.
Accordingly, on behalf of constituents such as myself, students, educators and our public institutions of higher education, I respectfully ask that you bring up these issues with your conference and work to ensure that the funding that was included in your one-house budget proposal is ultimately included in the enacted budget.
Sincerely,
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