2025-2026 State Budget

• Level funding of approximately $83 million in State tax support for the University at Albany.
• Continued base funding for the hiring of additional full-time faculty at State-operated campuses and community colleges.
• $1.5 million for the State Weather Risk Communication Center at the University at Albany to provide rapid, tailored, real-time weather information to help state agencies, emergency managers, and other critical stakeholders, prepare for and respond to severe weather events. This is a partnership between UAlbany and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
• Last year’s Enacted Budget included $250,000 to establish a Center of Excellence in RNA Research and Therapeutics — a partnership between UAlbany’s RNA Institute and the University of Rochester’s Center for RNA Biology. Unfortunately, this funding was cut in the Executive Budget. We are seeking restored and additional funding for a total of $500,000.
• $904,000 for the NYSTAR Center for Advanced Technology in Nanomaterials and Nanoelectronics (CATN2) at UAlbany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering — a reduction of $96,000 from last year’s Enacted Budget for which we are seeking restored and additional funding.
• $895,455 for the NYSTAR Center of Excellence (COE) in Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology at UAlbany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering — a reduction of $104,545 from last year’s Enacted Budget for which we are seeking restored and additional funding.
• $800,000 for the NYSTAR Center of Excellence (COE) in Weather and Climate Analytics at the University at Albany — a reduction of $200,000 from last year's Enacted Budget for which we are seeking restored and additional funding.
• $1.74 million for the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the University at Albany (CARD Albany), which brings research and practice together in community settings — a reduction of $500,000 from last year’s Enacted Budget for which we are seeking restored funding.
• Level funding of $235,000 for Just for the Kids (NYKids) within the School of Education, the only New York-focused, evidenced-based school improvement program in the state that compares the performance of equally resourced and similarly challenged schools.
• Level funding of $261,600 for the Public Health Leaders of Tomorrow (PHLOT) Program, established in 2006, which strengthens the public health infrastructure across New York State.
• Level funding of $32,000 for Public Health Live!, a webcast series designed to provide continuing education opportunities on public health issues.
• Level funding of $487,000 for Physician Workforce Studies which the Center for Health Workforce Studies, under contract with the New York State Department of Health, monitors the state's health workforce and identifies areas around the state with shortages of primary care, oral health and behavioral health providers.
• Level funding of $100,000 for the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society for the Immigrant Integration Index.
• Level funding of $218,400 for the evaluation of the Dwyer Peer-to-Peer Veterans Program, which provides veterans at risk of social isolation with a chance to engage with other veterans in low demand settings that do not carry the stigma of receiving traditional mental health service.
• $18 million in continued support for the SUNY Investment Fund.
• Continued support for “TAP Gap” costs.
• Streamlining part time financial aid programs (see additional details in the “Legislative Items” section).
• Streamlining the Excelsior Scholarship payment (see additional details in the “Legislative Items” section).

Each year, the University at Albany requests additional operating and capital support from the New York State Legislature.

Below are the requests created in consultation with the President's Executive Council.
 

Health Innovation & Technology Research Building — $250 Million

We are proposing to have a 150,000 gross square foot Health Innovation & Technology Research (Health Tech) Building for cutting-edge academic and research programs at the intersection of artificial intelligence and social, health and environmental equity. 

The building will be adjacent to UAlbany’s College of Integrated Health Sciences and provide critically needed lab and research space for chemistry, biology, public health, and our nationally leading AI Plus initiative. 

Inside, researchers and students in the natural, social and data sciences will explore the ways in which AI can further our understanding of the complexly interrelated challenges posed by health disparities, climate change and economic inequity.

The Health Tech Building will be a model for interdisciplinary work as the home for some of our newest initiatives, including the Institute for Social and Health Equity and the Global Center for AI in Mental Health. 

Deeply informed by the lessons of COVID-19, the teaching and research it houses will focus on technological and scientific innovations and policy interventions aimed at reversing the persistent racial and economic outcome disparities exposed by the pandemic. 

There is significant opportunity for federal funding in these fields, and this work advances not just UAlbany’s mission as one of the most diverse public R1 universities in the nation but Gov. Hochul’s commitment to make SUNY a leader in both equity and scientific discovery.  

Additionally, a satellite energy plant, or Energy Hub, will be housed in the basement of the building. In heeding the Governor’s call to decarbonize New York, this will help move the state closer to its ambitious goals as it will improve system reliability and reduce an estimated 55,000 MMBtu of natural gas at the existing central plant, which amounts to a 16 percent reduction in on-site fossil fuel usage and associated carbon emissions.
 

NYSTAR Center for Advanced Technology in Nanomaterials and Nanoelectronics, Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology, and Center of Excellence in Weather and Climate Analytics — increase last year’s funding by $500,000 to $1.5 Million

The reunification of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) with UAlbany included the return of the NYSTAR Center for Advanced Technology in Nanomaterials and Nanoelectronics (CATN2) and Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology, which were previously housed at UAlbany. 

These Centers, along with the University’s Center of Excellence in Weather and Climate Analytics, were funded at $1 million each in last year’s enacted budget. However, this year’s Executive Budget cuts funding for Centers for Advanced Technology (CATs) and Centers of Excellence (COEs).

We are requesting that these funds be not only restored but increased to $1.5 million per center this year to further strengthen the economic and educational viability of New York State through their respective focus areas.
 

NYSTAR Center of Excellence in RNA Research and Therapeutics — restore last year’s funding of $250,000 and increase total funding to $500,000

New York State is home to two leaders in RNA research, UAlbany’s RNA Institute and the University of Rochester’s Center for RNA Biology: From Genome to Therapeutics. 

The newly established NYSTAR Center of Excellence in RNA Research and Therapeutics (CERRT) leverages this existing reservoir of knowledge, expertise, and resources to spur economic development and train the next generation of high-tech workers with RNA science expertise.

CERRT is well-positioned to provide cutting-edge solutions to critical scientific problems that include developing therapeutics for devastating genetic diseases and emerging public health pathogens that threaten the well-being of New Yorkers. 

CERRT will also use RNA science as a workforce development platform to provide the trained workers needed to grow New York’s healthcare, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries. 

The career opportunities for underrepresented minorities that this investment could create would help address systemic inequities and gender disparity in both academia and industry.
 

Creating Financial Flexibility to Invest in STEM Programs — $4 Million

ETEC is a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient facility that houses some of UAlbany’s fastest-growing programs and signature research strengths including weather, climate change and emergency management. 

The University is in a unique situation of borrowing an estimated $73 million for the remaining cost of its signature NYSUNY 2020 project. To manage this debt, UAlbany is now burdened with paying $4 million annually to support debt service which is typically financed by New York State on state buildings.

If NYS assumed this debt, as with other university buildings, UAlbany would invest this $4 million in programs to support more inclusive approaches to teaching STEM, in student retention initiatives including advising, and to support the professional development of women faculty and staff. 

As one of the most diverse public research universities in the nation (about 40% of UAlbany undergrads identify as Black or Latina/o), UAlbany takes pride in ensuring that all students are provided with opportunities to succeed, and this debt relief would greatly advance that cause.

The following items related to SUNY State-operated campuses were included in this year’s Executive budget:
 

Highlights (as provided by SUNY)

• $114 million in additional direct state tax support for State-operated campuses to aid students and attract and retain top faculty and staff, as well as to cover the incremental costs of the State-approved collective bargaining agreements. UAlbany will receive an allocation from this new funding at the discretion of the SUNY Board of Trustees.
• $53 million in continued support for the hiring of additional full-time faculty at State-operated campuses and community colleges.
• $28 million in new funding to cover the remaining costs of tuition, fees, and books for adult learners pursuing associate’s degrees in high-demand fields.
• Continued support for “TAP Gap” costs.
• A continuation of $18 million in base support for the SUNY Investment Fund.
• $2.5 million for the operating costs for SUNY’s participation in the Empire AI consortium.
• $750,000 in new funding for the First Responder Counseling Scholarship.
• $1 million in new funding for the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium.
• $10 million in new funding for Departments of AI and Society and the SUNY Natural Language Processing Artificial Intelligence Program.
   

SUNY Capital

The Executive Budget recommends $550 million in critical maintenance funding. 

Of the $550 million, $153.4 million is allocated for State-operated/statutory campuses (UAlbany’s share is $9.8 million, a decrease of approximately $130,000 from last year’s Enacted budget) and $396.6 million in a lump sum for priority critical maintenance projects. 

While its allocation is yet to be determined, priority will be given to projects that address life and safety concerns, core infrastructure in need of replacement and upgrading buildings and infrastructure to meet current codes and regulations, such as ADA.

The capital budget also provides a $200 million New York State Innovation Fund for research facilities that can be used on design, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, and equipment for health and safety, preservation of facilities, programmatic or energy conservation projects. This appropriation is provided in a lump sum and subject to a plan to be developed by SUNY and approved by the director of the budget. 

Additionally, $25 million is provided for a SUNY Green Energy Loan Fund to help transform campus buildings to be more energy efficient.

• The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is funded at $850 million, an increase of approximately $15 million from last year’s Enacted Budget.
• The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) is funded at $42.5 million, a decrease of approximately $1.9 million from last year’s Enacted Budget.
• The Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) is funded at $21 million, a decrease of approximately $800,000 from last year’s Enacted Budget.
• The Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (C-STEP) is funded at $15.8 million, a decrease of approximately $700,000 from last year’s Enacted Budget.
• The Liberty Partnership Program (LPP) is funded at $24.2 million, a decrease of approximately $1.1 million from last year’s Enacted Budget.

Highlights (as provided by SUNY)

The Executive proposes the following legislative changes:

• Streamline Part Time Financial Aid Programs: Repeals the following two programs — Aid for Part Time Study (APTS) and Part Time Scholarship (PTS) — and streamlines the existing Part Time Tuition Assistance Program (PT-TAP) by eliminating the following: allows for students that first attended college pre-2006 to take advantage of the program, reducing the number of credits per term from six (6) to three (3).
• Streamline Excelsior Scholarship Payment: Would eliminate the need for SUNY and CUNY campuses to pay, in the first instance, the Excelsior Scholarship Tuition Credit and be reimbursed by the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC); instead, students receiving Excelsior would get this grant directly from the State.
• Create the NY Opportunity Promise Scholarship for Community College: Would provide for a grant for students meeting the following requirements for the difference between tuition, fees, books, and supplies and available financial aid: (a) have no prior degree; (b) be 25-55 years of age; (c) be enrolled in an Associates degree program; (d) be enrolled in an instructional program leading to a career in a high-demand field such as advanced manufacturing, technology, cybersecurity, engineering, artificial intelligence, nursing and allied health professions, green and renewable energy, and pathways to teaching in shortage areas (noting these fields may change annually); and (e) must be taking at least six credits per term. Such awards will be available for up to ten semesters.
• Mandate Reporting of Local Government Cyber Incidents: Would require localities to report cyber incidents to the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) within 72 hours after impact.
• Market-Based Interest Rate on Court Judgements: Would switch to market-based interest rates, versus fixed interest rates, to be levied on court judgments and accrued claims.
• Extend the Waiver of Civil Service Examination Fees: Would extend the current temporary waiver on exam fees from December 31, 2026, through June 30, 2026.
• Establish an Optional Payment for Newly Hired State Employees: Would, subject to an agreement with labor unions, an optional payment prior to their normally scheduled paycheck of newly hired State employees and then recouped over the first 14 pay periods.
• Require Cybersecurity Awareness Training: Would require employees of the State and Local Governments that use technology as part of their official job duties to take annual cybersecurity awareness trainings.
• Require Additional Safety Features for AI-companion Technology: Would enhance user safety of artificial intelligence-based social and interactive services which simulate human interaction.
• Increased Discretionary Procurement Thresholds for Minority and Women-owned Business
  Enterprises and Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses: Increases commodities and services from $750,000 to $1,500,000 without a formal competitive process.
• Create the CATALIST NY Program: Would create a new statewide economic development program, under which the Department of Economic Development would accept applications from incubators that nominate small business to be CATALIST NY Small businesses.
• Extend and Amend the Excelsior Jobs Program: Extends the program from 2029 to 2039 and adds semiconductor supply chain programs, as well as creating the new semiconductor research and development project program and the semiconductor manufacturing workforce training incentive program.
• Nurse Licensure Compacts: Allows New York State to enter into an interstate licensure compact for medical professionals (the Interstate Medical Nurse Licensure Compact for registered nurses [RNs] and licensed practical nurses [LPNs]).
• K-12 Dual Enrollment Policy: Would authorize the New York State Education Department (SED) to develop a state-wide dual enrollment policy for K-12 schools. K-12 Schools participating in the dual enrollment program must file with SED information such as participation agreements with the institution of higher education providing the college credit and report data on student success. The data points that will be required to be reported on will be established jointly by the Governor’s office, SED, SUNY and CUNY. In addition, the Executive Budget proposes the creation of a College in the High School Opportunity Fund that will provide: (a) $52.4M: Smart Scholars, Smart Transfer, and Pathways in Technology Early College High School Programs; and (b) $12.2M: New and ongoing, per-credit, funding for College in High School Programs. This program focuses on providing support for economically disadvantaged students and will be free for participating students as they earn credit.

• Regional Economic Development Councils: The Executive Budget includes $150 million for investment in innovation plans for regional job creation and community development.
• Downtown Revitalization and NY Forward: The Executive Budget provides $200 million total for another round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and another round of the NY Forward program, which have been transforming downtown neighborhoods into vibrant communities where the next generation of New Yorkers will want to live, work and raise families, as well as to invigorate downtowns of the State’s smaller and rural communities.
• High Technology Programs: The Executive Budget maintains funding of $5 million for the Innovative Hot Spots. Additionally, total funding for the Centers of Excellence (COEs) and Centers for Advanced Technology (CATs) was reduced from $14 million to approximately $12 million, and $15 million to approximately $13.6 million, respectively.
• Empire AI Consortium: Gov. Hochul provides $90 million to supplement the Empire AI Consortium. This is in addition to the $275 million State investment provided in last year’s Enacted Budget.
• Downtown Albany Revitalization: Gov. Hochul proposes $400 million for economic and community development projects for Downtown Albany in partnership with local stakeholders. This investment includes $200 million for revitalization projects, targeted strategies for addressing public safety and quality of life, and coordinating efforts tied to the redevelopment of I-787 and the Livingston Avenue rail bridge. Additionally, $150 million of this funding will be used to update and modernize the core facilities of the New York State Museum.