Funding for the City University of New York—CUNY—is a central issue in this year’s discussions about the State budget. I’m counting on you to make investment in CUNY students, faculty and staff a priority.

CUNY is a major research university and a vital resource for the entire state. Every year, it enrolls more than a half-million New Yorkers, including tens of thousands from outside of New York City. Eighty-five percent of CUNY students stay in New York State after graduation, and they add $8 billion to the state’s tax base every year. CUNY students are mostly low-income and people of color. They are New Yorkers who have typically triumphed over difficult conditions before reaching college and who are prepared to sacrifice for a college degree.

The proposed Executive Budget for FY 2017 places CUNY at risk. It calls for a shift of responsibility for 30% of public funding for CUNY ($485 million) from the State to New York City. The shift is linked to a proposed allocation of an additional $240 million for retroactive raises for CUNY’s employees, who have worked six years without a raise. A fair union contract for CUNY’s 25,000 faculty and staff is critical to maintain quality education at CUNY. The University needs more State funding, not less.

Please advocate for a final FY 2017 State budget that makes these investments:

The $240 million included by the Governor in his Executive Budget for contracts with CUNY employees must be included as part of the enacted budget. The University cannot currently afford to offer salaries that will attract and keep the high-quality faculty and staff its students need.

CUNY funding must not be cut by $485 million. There is no fiscal or policy justification for the proposal to shift costs to New York City. CUNY Chancellor James Milliken testified that in the worst-case scenario, the proposed cut could lead to the closing of CUNY colleges or a 30% across-the-board cut for all campuses.

CUNY senior colleges need $100 million more to begin to recover from years of disinvestment. New York State’s per-student investment in CUNY senior colleges has fallen by 3% since Governor Cuomo took office, and by 17% since 2008. With a healthy budget surplus this year, Albany should start rebuilding State investment in CUNY now. . Restored funding could enable CUNY to hire desperately needed new full-time faculty and counselors, and improve teaching conditions of adjunct faculty. A further tuition increase is not the way to rebuild a stable budget for CUNY.

CUNY needs $43.8 million for un-met mandatory costs, and a true Maintenance of Effort provision must be part of the enacted budget. Critical operating costs for CUNY (e.g. electricity, fringe benefits and collective bargaining increases) have not been funded in the governor’s budgets, and tuition hikes have made up the difference. CUNY needs $43.8 million to cover its operating costs. A true Maintenance of Effort provision, like the one vetoed recently by the governor, must be part of the final budget.

Add $250 per FTE to Community College Base Aid. Base Aid for community colleges is $78 less per FTE student than in 2008 ($478 less when adjusted for inflation), even after years of legislative investment. $250 more per FTE student would mean $26.3 million for CUNY.

Fix the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) so that it better serves all low- and moderate-income students, and pass the New York Dream Act. New York’s TAP program was designed many years ago, with the traditional college student in mind. Today, as the circumstances of students have changed, TAP excludes thousands of hardworking students.

Fund part of the cost of TAP tuition credits ($10.0 million). State law requires CUNY to provide a partial tuition credit covering the difference between full tuition and the maximum TAP award (currently $5,165). The cost to CUNY this year is $49 million. Allocate $10 million to offset part of the cost in FY 2017.

Restore FY 2016 legislative investments in CUNY ($4.6 million). Legislative investments in ASAP ($2.5 million), the Murphy Institute ($1.5 million), campus childcare ($0.4 million) and Graduate Pipeline Program ($0.25 million) were eliminated in the Executive Budget.

Thank you for your continued advocacy to keep CUNY strong for current and future generations of students. In a knowledge-based economy, no investment is more important. We urge you to take a stand for CUNY this critical year, when the choices you make could affect CUNY for decades to come. Generations of New Yorkers will thank you.