February 25, 2026

Shouting “Education is a right,” more than 300 students and staff members from SUNY and CUNY schools packed the Million Dollar Staircase at the New York State Capitol Feb. 25 to demand equitable funding for the state’s public higher education system, support for students that takes into consideration the high cost of living and desperately needed infrastructure repairs at campuses.

“We know what’s going on in Washington, and we’re here to put a stop to it,” said UUP President Fred Kowal, referring to President Donald Trump, who has attacked higher education and worked to strip funding from public and private colleges and universities and scientific research.

Kowal praised the students and staff who traveled from all over the state – Buffalo, Plattsburgh, New York City and Long Island – to attend the rally and meet with legislators.

"The money our campuses need—to close deficits that stem back to the Great Recession, to fix aging infrastructure and to fully staff academic and professional staff positions—is a tiny fraction of the state budget,” said Kowal. “We need to continue the progress we have made over the last three years to ensure that campuses have the resources to provide the highest quality of academic programs and services for our students."

A coalition of unions, NYPIRG and SUNY and CUNY student groups are calling for increases over the Executive Budget of more than $250 million for CUNY and SUNY senior colleges and community colleges: $108 million for CUNY to hire full-time faculty, advisors and mental health counselors, $100 million across the SUNY system to support program enhancements and cover the costs of recent enrollment growth, plus $41.8 million to close budget deficits at SUNY colleges.

A number of state-operated colleges in the sprawling SUNY system are still facing budget shortfalls due to SUNY’s inequitable allocation of state funds, and four campuses are in full-on crisis: SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ($8.3M deficit), Buffalo State University ($16M deficit), SUNY Fredonia ($11M deficit) and SUNY Potsdam ($6.5M deficit). At CUNY’s 25 colleges and schools, the staffing gains from prior budget cycles have been eroded by faculty attrition, leaving the system vastly understaffed.

In addition to UUP, PSC and NYPIRG, six other groups took part in the rally: uAspire, which works to increase access to financial aid for underrepresented students; the University Student Senate of CUNY; Young Invincibles, a national advocacy organization; the CUNY Coalition for Students with Disabilities; the SUNY Student Assembly, which represents SUNY students; and CUNY Rising Alliance, which is fighting for free tuition at CUNY’s 25 institutions.

The rally attracted the attention of state senators and assembly members, including SUNY graduate and former UUP member, Sen. Lea Webb, D-Binghamton. Sen. John Liu, D-Queens, also spoke at the rally.