SUNY Student Assembly Response to One-House Budgets

The following statement was issued today by the Student Assembly of the State University of New York (SUNY SA).  

The students of the State University of New York were pleased to see a number of legislative funding add backs proposed in the Assembly and Senate one-house budgets unveiled this week.

Earlier this year, students were discouraged to see funding for vital opportunity programs, SUNY’s research hospitals, and university wide programs slashed in the Governor’s proposed budget.
 

The Student Assembly applauds the Assembly majority’s decision to restore $5.4 million cut in the executive budget and to provide an additional $5.4 million in opportunity program funding. Thousands of students across SUNY are counting on these programs in order to thrive in our system- and their success is worth the investment. We urge the Governor and the Senate to support fully funding all opportunity programs in the final enacted budget.

We were also pleased to see funding restored in both one-house budgets for SUNY’s hospitals. These hospitals not only serve to educate New York’s next generation of health professionals- they also service hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers healthcare needs.  We urge the Governor to rescind his proposed  $78.6 Million cut to these hospitals.

SUNY’s community college students appreciate the decision to increase FTE base funding by $100 per student. We believe though that the state must move to a hold harmless model for community college funding- to ensure that students are not forced to suffer from cyclical changes in enrollment.

The decision by the Assembly majority to once again endorse the DREAM ACT is welcome at a time when SUNY’s undocumented students feel so greatly under attack from Washington. SUNY students urge the Senate to drop its opposition to this important legislation and allow all New Yorkers equal access to financial aid programs.

The students of the State University of New York appreciate the many legislative funding add backs proposed in the Assembly and Senate one house budgets- and look forward to advocating for their inclusion in the final 2018-2019 New York State budget.

Source: SUNY SA