NYC Gazette

The City University of New York (CUNY) Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez has expressed gratitude towards Mayor Adams and the City Council for enacting the fiscal year 2025 budget, which acknowledges the significant role of public higher education in New York City.

“We’re grateful that Mayor Adams and the City Council have enacted a fiscal year 2025 budget that recognizes the essential role that public higher education plays in New York City," stated Matos Rodríguez. The $15 million support allocated to CUNY’s seven community colleges aims to mitigate tuition losses due to enrollment declines and address various operational needs impacting students directly.

The budget also includes investments in several key programs. These include ASAP and ACE student-success initiatives, CUNY Reconnect—which has facilitated the return of over 33,000 New Yorkers to college since 2022—and CUNY Citizenship Now!, noted as the nation’s leading university-based provider of free legal services for immigrants. Additionally, it supports efforts to reduce food insecurity, provide low-cost childcare services, and combat religious and ethnic discrimination on campuses.

"We look forward to our continued work together to build on these and other initiatives critical to sustaining the University’s historic mission to provide a public first-rate education to all students, regardless of means or background,” added Matos Rodríguez.

He concluded by thanking Mayor Adams, Council Speaker Adams—both alumni—and the entire City Council delegation for their dedication to CUNY as an essential institution in New York City and a catalyst for economic and social mobility for its residents.