For Immediate Release

April 9, 2026

The grant, given earlier this month by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, will provide $3.25 million for graduate students’ scholarships and $1 million to partially fund a department professorship.

“We couldn’t be more pleased about this generous grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, which was given primarily to provide support to graduate students at Buffalo State. Not only will this gift provide students with scholarships, it will also partially fund a future professorship in imaging, examination and documentation.

“This is great news for Buffalo State, a cash-strapped university with a structural $16 million budget deficit, due to Great Recession-era cuts and flat state funding for more than a decade. Despite increased state funding to SUNY over the past three years, SUNY has instead chosen to force the administration to deactivate nearly 30 programs and make other cost-cutting to curtail costs.

“Cutting programs and services, especially as Buffalo State is growing its enrollment and is stabilizing and increasing its student retention rates, is not the way to revive this university. UUP continues to call on state leaders to make a significant investment in Buffalo State University by appropriating direct state aid to be used specifically to eradicate its deficit.

“Once unencumbered of its financial difficulties, Buffalo State can focus on growing enrollment and expanding programs and services. As SUNY’s only urban-engaged campus, Buffalo State is a diverse, inclusive university that is part of the social, economic and cultural fabric of Buffalo.

“The focus should be on growing Buffalo State, not shrinking it - especially since private institutions, like the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, believe in Buffalo State and the future of this university.”