State University of New York

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Agency Web Site: https://www.suny.edu/

Mission

Created in 1948, the State University of New York (SUNY) is the largest public university system in the nation with 64 campuses offering a complete range of academic, professional, and vocational programs. The State University system is uniquely positioned to provide New Yorkers with access to quality postsecondary educational programs in all regions of the State.

Organization and Staffing

SUNY is governed by an 18-member Board of Trustees consisting of 15 members appointed by the Governor, by and with consent of the New York State Senate, and the Presidents of the Student Assembly, the University Faculty Senate, and the Faculty Council of Community Colleges, all three of whom serve as ex-officio members. Aside from the Board, SUNY's leadership structure consists of a Chancellor, individual college Presidents, and centralized staff. Additionally, each community college has its own campus President and Board of Trustees. The State University includes 29 State-operated campuses, five statutory colleges, and 30 community colleges, located across New York and employing thousands of academic, administrative, and facility personnel.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2024 Executive Budget recommends $13.8 billion for SUNY and projects a workforce of 45,880 full-time equivalent employees.

The Executive Budget includes three different categories of appropriations for SUNY, including:

• $11.63 billion for the operations of State-operated campuses, statutory colleges, and SUNY's hospitals, an overall $894 million increase to appropriated levels compared to the prior year. This change is comprised of a $565 million increase for the operations of four-year campuses and a $328 million increase in appropriations for hospitals.
• $1.71 billion in new appropriations and $4.86 billion in reappropriations for capital projects. The new appropriation total is $808 million more than the FY 2024 appropriation level included in the FY 2023 Enacted Budget Capital Plan.
• $445 million for community colleges, a slightly lower level than FY 2023 due to non-recurring appropriations.

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Higher Education (PDF)

For more information on this agency's budget recommendations located in the Executive Budget Briefing Book, click on the following link:

Briefing Book – Higher Education (PDF)

Program Highlights

SUNY is one of the nation's largest comprehensive public universities, offering over 7,000 degree and certificate programs at the research universities, community colleges, medical schools, and colleges of technology that comprise its 64 campuses. More than 360,000 full- and part-time students – 200,000 at State-operated campuses and 160,000 at community colleges – are pursuing studies ranging from one-year certificate programs to doctorates.

Transforming Our State's Higher Education System

In 2022, Governor Hochul outlined a vision to transform SUNY and secure its status as the best and most equitable statewide system of higher education in the country. Specifically, the Governor outlined goals related to increasing enrollment and completion rates, preparing students for in-demand jobs, ensuring a world-class student experience, recruiting top faculty, providing a wide range of degrees and credentials, and doubling sponsored research, startups, and patents.

Governor Hochul took initial steps toward implementing her plan to transform the State's higher education system in last year’s budget, with significant increases in operating aid and capital funding for SUNY and CUNY, a historic expansion of TAP to part-time students, increased support for opportunity programs, and the announcement that Stony Brook University and the University at Buffalo would become the flagship institutions of the SUNY system.

As planning for full implementation of Governor Hochul's vision continues in 2023, the FY 2024 Executive Budget takes additional action to strengthen and transform our State’s higher education system.

Establish a State Matching Fund for Endowment Contributions

Endowments provide stable long-term funding in support of campus operations, student scholarships for a diverse student body, endowed professorships to attract world-class faculty, innovative research, and the development of new academic fields. The nation’s leading research institutions have large endowments, and so, too, should SUNY’s university centers. The Executive Budget will create the first-ever New York State matching fund for contributions made to the endowments of SUNY’s four university centers: Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, and Stony Brook. The fund will provide $1 of State funds for every $2 of private contributions to the universities' endowments, up to $500 million in total State funds.

Provide Funding for SUNY’s Transformation

The Executive Budget will make one-time strategic investments to expand enrollment and access to SUNY campuses across the state and build the strength of the four university centers, including the two flagship institutions. These investments include:

• $200 million for digital transformation and IT infrastructure across the SUNY system. These funds will be used in part to improve systems serving students in order to create a seamless and intuitive experience buoyed by world-class technology.
• $75 million for transformational initiatives at campuses that support innovation, help meet the workforce needs of the future, and provide needed support to students.
• $200 million in capital funding for new and renovated research buildings, laboratories, and state-of-the art instrumentation at SUNY's flagship institutions, Stony Brook University and the University at Buffalo.

Provide Tuition Flexibility Throughout SUNY

To ensure that SUNY institutions can reliably invest in their long-term futures as costs rise, while prioritizing the evolving needs of students, ensuring academic excellence, and continuing to maintain low-cost and stable tuition rates for in-state residents, the Executive Budget authorizes annual tuition increases for SUNY State-operated campuses indexed to the lesser of the Higher Education Price Index or 3 percent. In addition, to allow them to realize their potential as leading research institutions, the Executive Budget proposes phasing in differential tuition for SUNY’s university centers, allowing tuition at these campuses to rise an additional 6 percentage points above SUNY’s base tuition rate each year for the next five years (capped at 30 percent above the base rate) for in-state students. The tuition plan, assuming comparable increases for non-resident and graduate students, is expected to provide $97 million in new operating support to SUNY in AY 2024.

Increase State Support for SUNY Campuses by $176 Million

The Executive Budget provides $176 million in new, recurring State support for SUNY State-operated campuses and statutory colleges. This funding is in addition to the $75 million provided for SUNY transformation initiatives and includes:

• $60 million in recurring general operating support,
• $84 million increase in funding for employee fringe benefits, and
• $32 million increase to fund financial aid to help cover the tuition costs of New York residents.

Maintain the Community College Funding Floor

The Executive Budget will maintain a funding floor for community colleges at 100 percent of prior year funding. Without a funding floor, SUNY community colleges would face a $79 million (19 percent) loss in formula aid due to enrollment declines.

Invest in SUNY Facilities

The Executive Budget provides $1.71 billion in new appropriations and $4.86 billion in reappropriations for SUNY capital projects. In addition to the $400 million in SUNY transformation capital investments, this funding includes: $750 million in new capital appropriations for State-operated campuses, $150 million for capital projects at SUNY hospitals funded by patient revenues, $104 million for community college projects, and $75 million for dormitory-related projects funded by dorm revenues.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 02/01/2023