UB statement on state budget and NYSUNY 2020

BUFFALO, N.Y. – University at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi today said he was disappointed that the New York State budget adopted by the state legislature does not include the governor’s proposal for a full extension of NYSUNY 2020. Language critical to maintaining state support for the State University of New York, which would have guaranteed SUNY funding to be maintained at least at the level of support provided for the 2010-11 fiscal year, was also repealed.

While thanking the legislature for providing some additional resources to SUNY that will help support UB and its mission, Tripathi asked the state to consider revisiting the NYSUNY 2020 program, including maintenance-of-effort provisions, in next year’s budget.

“Over the past five years, we have been able to make critical investments in our students’ education — invigorating undergraduate programs, increasing graduation rates and supporting groundbreaking research – while keeping tuition affordable,” Tripathi said.  “We will continue to work to sustain these investments in the coming year, and the additional resources the state has provided will help in our efforts. In the longer term, however, it is our hope that the legislature will affirm its commitment to SUNY and revisit NYSUNY 2020 in the next budget cycle to ensure that our university continues on its path of historic growth and innovation benefiting our students and local community.”

Since NYSUNY 2020 was enacted in 2011, UB implemented several initiatives and programs for the benefit of UB students and their families, while ensuring that tuition remained affordable.  During this period, the university:

• Implemented the Finish in 4 program enabling on-time graduation for all students.
• Hired 291 top faculty in high-demand areas.
• Expanded experiential learning opportunities for students.
• Provided $35.4 million in need-based financial aid to nearly 29,000 students.

These investments helped the university significantly increase students’ four- and six-year graduation rates — from 43 percent to 53 percent and from 67 percent to 72 percent, respectively.  Last week, a new national study by The Education Trust cited UB as among the universities that stand out for improving overall graduation rates while also achieving significant gains for black students during the last decade.  Graduation rates for black students at UB have increased by 20.1 points, to 63.5 percent, according to the report.

UB remains among the most affordable AAU public universities, and its student debt is among the lowest in the nation.  Forty percent of UB students graduate with no debt, and UB students’ loan default rate (4.5 percent) is approximately one-third of the national average, Tripathi said.

NYSUNY 2020 is supported by the UB Student Association as well as by the SUNY Board of Trustees, shared governance leaders throughout SUNY, and elected student and faculty leaders in the SUNY Student Assembly and University Faculty Senate.