SUNY announces $3.3M in new funding to North Country campuses
More than $3 million in new funding is coming to the three North Country SUNY campuses in the latest state spending plan signed off by lawmakers.
The funding for SUNY Plattsburgh, Pottsdam and Canton is part of a $114 million in increased operating aid across State-operated SUNY campuses in the new budget budget. The funding marks a continued historic investment and commitment to public higher education under Governor Kathy Hochul's leadership with strong support from Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and the entire State Legislature.
Every State-operated campus has received at least a 30% increase in operating aid over the last three years, officials said when announcing the funding.
'This year's budget continues a historic investment in New York's public higher education system — one that will bring essential support to our students and faculty,' SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said. 'These resources ensure SUNY's continued affordability and invest in our academic and research excellence. There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and this funding strengthens our ability to promote student success and advance upward mobility.'
In the North Country, SUNY has allocated $1.483 million to SUNY Plattsburgh, $1.022 million to SUNY Potsdam and $799,000 to SUNY Canton.
'SUNY Plattsburgh, Clinton Community College and North Country Community College are vital parts of the North Country, and we all benefit when we invest in SUNY campuses and our students,' State Assemblymember Billy Jones said. 'This funding will not only help these schools continue to educate their students but also provides an opportunity for residents across the North Country to pursue a higher education.'
'This budget represents a bold affirmation of SUNY's pivotal role in New York's future,' the SUNY Board of Trustees noted in a press release. 'With this investment, Governor Hochul and the State Legislature are reinforcing their commitment to academic excellence and expanding the promise of opportunity for every New Yorker. These new resources will fuel innovation, support cutting-edge research, and ensure SUNY remains a powerful engine of economic opportunity.'
Town of Plattsburgh Supervisor Michael Cashman, a member of SUNY Plattsburgh's University Council, praised the funding, saying investing in higher education is 'absolutely critical.'
'And we're very fortunate to not only have SUNY Plattsburgh here in the footprint of the North Country but we also have Clinton Community College,' Cashman said.
'So this investment is a critical, forward direction and I look forward to seeing what is done with it in the weeks and months ahead. But I am specifically interested in the ongoing development of Clinton Community College co locating with the SUNY Plattsburgh campus and while they're soon to be leaving the Bluff, I think it's a wonderful new collaboration that is going to elevate higher education in the North Country overall.'
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