New York FY27 Budget Reflects Value of Higher Education Investment

ALBANY, NY – On May 28, 2026, Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York Legislature finalized the state budget for fiscal year 2027. The $286.5 billion budget sustains investments in postsecondary access, affordability, and success, with increases in some areas.

Specifically, the budget includes:

• No tuition rate increases at New York’s public institutions, the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY).
• First-time state funding of $1 million for emergency funds to help SUNY and CUNY students meet their basic needs.
• Funding for the state’s opportunity programs, including $10,676,000 more for the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) summer program, an $8 million increase for SUNY’s Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) and Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP), a $590,000 increase for additional services and expenses of CUNY’s Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK) program, and level funding for CUNY ASAP/ACE.
• $6 million for the expansion of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP) to assist student borrowers statewide to navigate pre and post student loan borrowing.

The Governor also expanded SUNY and CUNY Reconnect by adding career paths eligible for free community college under the New York Opportunity Promise Scholarship program, including allowing adult learners who have a prior degree to return to the classroom and earn a nursing credential.

The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), New York’s primary financial aid program, was left unchanged despite proposals in the one-house budget that would have eliminated distinctions between independent and dependent students that result in independent students receiving inequitably lower awards, and raised the income threshold for students to receive the maximum TAP award from $7,000 for dependent students, and $3,000 for independent students (without children), to $30,000 net taxable income.

The following statement is attributable to Kirsten Keefe, Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy for New York at The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS):

“We commend Governor Hochul and the Legislature for advancing a FY27 budget that sustains meaningful investments in college access, affordability, and student success across New York. From holding tuition flat at SUNY and CUNY to establishing, for the first time, dedicated emergency aid to help students meet their basic needs, this budget reflects a clear commitment to supporting students where they are. Increased funding for opportunity programs and expanded access to initiatives like SUNY and CUNY Reconnect will open more doors for New Yorkers—especially adult learners—seeking to return to school and build in-demand skills.

“At the same time, this budget underscores that more work remains to ensure higher education is truly affordable for all. Key opportunities—such as strengthening TAP for the lowest-income students and enacting critical consumer protections for private student loan borrowers—were left on the table.

“Lawmakers must build on this progress by establishing student borrower and cosigner protections and advancing policies like the SNAP for Students Act before the end of session. We urge the Legislature to make deeper investments next year so that every New Yorker can access and complete a college education without undue financial burden.”