As a public institution, the City University of New York relies on funding from New York State and New York City to finance its yearly budget. These budgets cover everything from building maintenance, university enrollment, academic and career advisement, and more.
“Gov. Hochul’s executive budget proposal for the Fiscal Year of 2026 builds on her historic commitment to providing New Yorkers with a public higher education system that is affordable, modern and innovative,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez in a Jan. 22 CUNY press release.
To secure its budget, CUNY must submit a request to the State and City for each fiscal year — which begins on July 1st and ends on June 30th. According to the CUNY Board of Trustees’s Committee on Finance and Administration’s Nov. 25th meeting agenda, the university requested $443.3 million in operating funds. This was later amended to $444.3 million to compensate for a free MetroCard Pilot program and $2.4 billion in capital funds for 2026.
So what are some of the specific items and initiatives that CUNY has cited in its 2026 budget request?
One area that appeared to be of much concern in the budget request is student enrollment and retention. CUNY, like many universities nationwide, has been struggling with enrollment since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the CUNY Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request:
“The primary driver of the structural deficit is the steep post-pandemic enrollment decline. CUNY’s enrollment dropped by nearly 15% when comparing Fall 2023 with Fall 2019 headcount totals. The enrollment decline has led to less revenue to support operations, which prompted a multi-faceted plan to stabilize the University’s finances without hurting educational outcomes.”
Despite the lingering effects of the pandemic, CUNY has actually seen enrollment go up by 3% from 2022 to 2023. To keep this upward momentum, CUNY requested a total of $10.6 million for enrollment and retention. The 2026 budget’s allocation of funds would allow CUNY to invest in marketing and visibility, upgrade the enrollment systems with on-time communication and clearer deadlines, and make other improvements.
In addition to enrollment and retention CUNY’s 2026 budget request also addresses facilities maintenance and enhancement across the university system.
CUNY is requesting $400 million per year for senior colleges and $200 million per year for community colleges as part of a larger initiative to get infrastructure across the CUNY system into a state of good repair. CUNY’s goal is to have 55% of its buildings in a state of good repair by 2030, which, if achieved, would be a big improvement from the current 25% considered in a state of good repair.
“The University owns and operates over 29 million square feet of properties in about 300 buildings. More than 52% of these buildings are 50 years old or older. The current estimated value of Deferred Maintenance Backlog on those buildings is estimated at over $6.9 billion which is being finalized through our current Facility Condition Assessment system,” the 2026 budget request says.
Other interesting portions of the request include $6.7 million for Seamless Transfers, $5.4 million into Online Education, $7.6 million for a Student Well-Being Initiative, $16.7 million for Academic and Career Advisement, and other things that can help many QC students, and students across the entire CUNY system.
However, some choices might raise some eyebrows. The budget request says that, “Generative AI has the potential to transform the university as we know it. From chatbots for information to adaptive learning, higher education is grappling with AI’s current impact and the scope of its potential to increase academic effectiveness and improve efficiency.” And with that, the request is asking for $13.3 million for AI integration into the CUNY system.
But regardless of how much money is going to specific areas, only time will tell if CUNY’s 2026 budget will help students and faculty find success while keeping the CUNY system going strong.
