State Budget for 2016-2017

April 11, 2016

The state budget for 2016-2017 was adopted on April 1, and the State University’s budget was a part. A summary of the SUNY System budget is posted here. Note that, apart from the capital budget, this summary does not contain individual campus budgets. Farmingdale’s detailed operating budget will come within the next few weeks.

The budget did not extend the SUNY 2020 rational tuition legislation, and tuition for the next year is held static at this year’s level. In addition, there was no allocation of new state funds to the operating budget. In fact, the overall SUNY base budget was reduced by $4.7 million.The college must operate during the next year with a static budget with the only variable being tuition revenue based on the current tuition and fee rates and enrollment.

There was however relatively good news—in comparison to other SUNY campuses—in the capital budget. The college will receive $6.2 million for “critical maintenance” projects. These funds may be used for routine maintenance and some substantial renovation projects. We did not receive approval of construction funds for the Building of Applied Social Sciences, as there were no “strategic initiative” funds—as major building projects are referred to—in the SUNY budget for any campus. It is possible that action of the Legislature and Governor before the end of the session in June will result in capital funding. Planning for the building will proceed on schedule.

Hubert Keen