SUNY Student Association pushes for reform, money

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Students pursuing higher education in New York rallied in Albany to push for better education funding. The State University of New York Student Association (SUNYSA) held a day of advocacy at the Capitol to support changes to the budget and the law to help public colleges statewide.

They called their plan—including investments in campus improvements and fairer rules for financial aid—the Students’ Agenda. SUNYSA said that 1.3 million students from 64 campuses contributed ideas that became legislative proposals.

On the whole, they support Gov. Kathy Hochul's offer of free SUNY and CUNY admission for some New Yorkers. Still, they pushed for more funding—some $160 million or more—justified by a stronger workforce that would jumpstart the statewide economy once they graduate.

Arguing that smart investments in school buildings would help elevate surrounding communities, SUNYSA pushed for $114 million more in operating aid to fix old buildings and update classrooms. The students asked for an extra $30 million to support advice, tutoring, and career help services to ease the transition from high school to college.

According to SUNYSA, $10 million more would help address mental health concerns on campus. That money would be put toward hiring more staff who would improve the level of care available. They also think $5 million should go to offices focused on diversity and inclusion, and they want another $500,000 to offer one-on-one help for students to fill out the FAFSA.

SUNYSA pointed to a statistic that 25% of college students face food insecurity. To that end, they want another $500,000 for food pantries on campus. They said that campus pantries would use the money to buy freezers and higher quality produce, keeping students fed and focused.

Students also think lawmakers should change the Educational Opportunity Program, which offers academic support and financial aid. Currently, admission requirements differ by campus. They pushed to boost EOP funding by 50% to about $20 million, and to expand the program up to every campus under the same standard.

Students want lawmakers to lower the credit hour rule for the Excelsior Scholarship from 30 to 24. Another fix for the scholarship would be to let students take time off, eliminating a continuous enrollment requirement. They think the award should expand to cover students fees and be open to families who make up to $180,000 per year.

Advocacy day meant students met directly with lawmakers to share their ideas. SUNYSA championed several pieces of legislation:

S1008—the College Suicide Prevention Act—would require SUNY, CUNY, and independent colleges to upgrade their approach to student mental health, enrollment, leave, and crisis response. It mandates mental health training—including how to identify students who are at risk of suicide—for every full-time teacher, staff member, coach, and advisor within one year of starting work. They would need to update that training every three years. The law also adds mental health to the agenda for new-student orientations.

S1421/A2603 is sustainable staffing and green infrastructure legislation requiring SUNY and CUNY campuses to hire staff who manage energy, handle waste, and teach sustainability.

Campus size	Full-time workers required in each area	Part-time workers required in each area
Under 4,000 students	1	0
Between 4,000 and 11,999 students	1	1
Between 12,000 and 24,999	2	0
25,000 or more	2	1

Depending on number of students, campuses would have to full- and part-time workers for energy, waste, and sustainability. Smaller schools just need one in each of the three areas, while larger schools need two.

S68—the Student Journalist Free Speech Act—would give student reporters more control over school media without prior review by administrators. Unless issues like libel, invasion of privacy, breaking the law, or inciting immediate harm come up, students would decide what news or opinion make air. It's supposed to prevent censorship and protect staff from being fired if they defend student journalism or political expression.

Students pressed lawmakers on reproductive health, too. Although it hasn't been introduced in the current legislative session, SUNYSA also supported emergency contraception legislation from the previous legislative session—A4091A. That law would have required at least one specialized vending machine on every SUNY and CUNY campus that sells affordable contraception.

According to Democratic State Sen. Robert Jackson, a member of the Senate Committees on Education and Higher Education, those committees are in the process of reviewing SUNYSA's legislative asks. In the video below, Jackson—a SUNY New Paltz alumni—delivering a pep talk to the students at the Capitol as they prepared to lobby representatives:

“I stand with our future leaders—all of you—advocating for a SUNY system that nurtures every student's health, rights, and academic success,” Jackson said. “In unity, there is strength.”