Subject:

Urge lawmakers to increase funding for community colleges and expand the SUNY and CUNY Reconnect program!

Dear Legislator, 

As your constituent and someone who cares deeply about public higher education, I strongly urge you to support increased state investment in New York's community colleges. 

Community colleges provide affordable, accessible pathways to 2-year degrees, 4-year transfers and in-demand career skills for millions of New Yorkers — including working adults, career changers and first-generation students. Enrollments are rising as more students recognize their value, but state funding has not kept pace. Our community colleges need predictable, sustainable support to continue serving their communities. 

Specifically, I urge you to support the following: 

• Invest $15.4 million to establish a predictable funding floor indexed to inflation using the Commonfund Higher Education Price Index (HEPI), guaranteeing base funding equal to no less than the highest amount received in any of the previous three fiscal years and protecting colleges against enrollment-based funding reductions. 

• Increase small college aid from $940,000 to $3.7 million to provide critical support to fiscally distressed community college campuses struggling with low enrollment. 

• Expand the SUNY/CUNY Reconnect program to include every SUNY and CUNY college or university that offers degrees in identified shortage areas, cover students ages 18–55 and remove the language restricting applicants who have already obtained a post-secondary degree. 

• Grant all New Yorkers access to 60 tuition- and fee-free credits at any community college. 

Community colleges are where opportunity begins for countless New Yorkers. They deserve a funding structure that reflects their value to our state's economy and workforce. I respectfully ask that you bring up these issues with your conference and I would greatly appreciate a response to this letter. 

Sincerely,

×