FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2023
Contact: Emma Bittner
(972) 510-3395 | Emma.Bittner@younginvincibles.org
NYC Budget Avoids Disastrous Cuts to CUNY, Yet Leaves Key Programs Underfunded
(New York City, NY) – Mayor Eric Adams and Speaker Adrienne Adams reached an agreed budget of $107 billion. Despite Mayor Adams’ initial cuts to the CUNY system, K-12 and early childhood education, public libraries, programs for seniors, and homeless services, the council and the mayor agreed on a budget that includes partially restoring $32.4 million for CUNY.
This included additional restorations for essential CUNY programs, including CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) and Accelerate, Complete, and Engage (ACE). The New York City Public Libraries’ budget and the Department of Education (K-12 schools)’s budgets will also no longer be cut; however, none of these city services, including CUNY, will receive any of the additional funds that they have called for in coalition with thousands of community leaders and organizations.
CUNY offers a pathway for economic mobility for many first-generation, low-income, and Black and brown students, many of whom are enrolled in CUNY’s community colleges. With the initially proposed cuts to CUNY impacting the community colleges the most, these restorations will protect and continue to support millions of current and future working-class students in New York City.
Much of these restorations are thanks to months-long efforts by the City Council effectively representing the needs and demands of their communities and advocating alongside community organizations, including the NYS Higher Education Basic Needs Coalition, CUNY Rising Alliance, CUNY Professional Staff Congress and the CUNY University Student Senate (USS), Alliance for Quality Education, People’s Plan NYC, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, and other organizers around the city fighting for investment for the city’s essential services.
While we celebrate the restoration of $32.4 million back to CUNY schools and students, the entirety of CUNY schools are still dealing with longstanding underfunding, which has resulted in repeated layoffs, massive deficits in critical student support services, such as advising, mental health counseling, and anti-hunger programs.
In response, Sean Miller, Northeast Regional Director at Young Invincibles stated:
“The restoration of $32.4 million for CUNY is a relief; however, it will only partially address the needs of CUNY students. We are grateful to see significant funding be invested to ensure essential services for students, but know much more must be done to fully support students.
While this agreement will fund some programs at CUNY, students still lack support for their basic needs. According to the NYC Comptroller’s office, half of CUNY students come from households with incomes below $30,000. The majority of CUNY’s current 243,000 students, their families, and millions of CUNY alumni rely on the city’s other social services, such as homeless services, SNAP benefits and food pantries, public libraries, and child care.
Fifty percent of working-age households do not have sufficient income to cover their basic needs, especially housing, healthcare, and food according to The United Way of New York City. Students should not have to worry about where their next meal will come from, where they will sleep tonight or if they can afford rent, rather, they should be able to focus solely on their education. Investing in our students is an investment in the future of New York.
We must continue to ensure students’ basic needs are fully met. Restoring some of CUNY’s funding is a good step, but the mayor should be investing in CUNY and our families – not shunning them.”
Jessilyn Morales, Student at Lehman College and YAP Alumni added:
“Without the ACE program at CUNY, I don’t know how I would have kept myself afloat throughout college. With the help of CUNY’s ACE program which provides financial assistance such as transportation costs and textbook stipends, I was able to afford my education. Growing up in a low-income household, I wouldn’t have been able to go to College if it wasn’t for the ACE program paying for my tuition and giving me the resources to be able to go to school every day. As long as the funding for these programs remains intact, students like me are given the opportunity to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential through affordable education.”
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Young Invincibles (YI) is a national advocacy and policy nonprofit organization focused on amplifying the voice of young people in the political process at the local, state, and federal levels. YI focuses on issues impacting young adults ages 18 to 34 in higher education, health care, economic security, and civic engagement. Our offices include Washington, D.C., California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, and Texas. For more information, please contact Emma Bittner at (972) 510-3395 or emma.bittner@younginvincibles.org