Repost Message will copy the article into draft mode and enable you to edit/change dates and information.
Do not change the dates of this posting because it will affect the original.
valid_elements: 'strong/b,p,br,i,em,ul,ol,li[style],a[href|target]',

MCC Daily Tribune

SUNY Chancellor King Joins Students for a Roundtable on Emergency Aid Grants

SUNY Emergency Aid Grants Enhance Access, Completion, and Success for Students

Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. held a roundtable with SUNY students to discuss how emergency aid grants have made the pathway to higher education more accessible. The emergency aid funds span 47 of SUNY’s colleges and universities and work to support students by financing unexpected costs such as emergency housing, car repairs, medical crisis, and technology like a laptop breaking.

“SUNY's emergency aid grants support our students navigating financial hardships that threaten to disrupt their path to a degree, taking focus away from their academic dreams,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “We champion student success. With emergency support initiatives, our students can feel more secure knowing they have a support system when challenging moments arise.”

SUNY Trustee Eunice A. Lewin and SUNY Trustee Luca O. Rallis, Co-Chairs of the Student Life Committee, said, “Emergency aid helps our campuses quickly and effectively address our students’ needs to make sure they complete their degrees, achieve academic excellence, and reach their full potential. SUNY has an unwavering commitment to supporting students' basic needs and we are proud to continuously champion and grow initiatives that break down barriers to student success.”

Governor Hochul’s 2026-27 Executive Budget includes $600,000 in dedicated state support for SUNY to expand campus emergency aid grant programs. This builds on SUNY’s November 2025 expansion of student emergency aid at 10 community colleges through a grant from the Gates Foundation.

During the roundtable, Chancellor King heard from students that have utilized SUNY’s emergency aid funds, as well as from SUNY staff that help process applications and administer the emergency aid. The students shared their experiences using SUNY’s emergency aid funds to highlight the importance of the program. Emergency aid funds can be used by students to cover costs associated with unexpected events including a car breakdown, medical crisis, emergency housing situation, or other emergency.

Emergency aid grants are part of SUNY’s ongoing commitment to expanding support for student basic needs. In 2017, SUNY launched the emergency aid pilot program at seven campuses supported by an over $600,000 grant from the Gerstner Family Foundation and the Heckscher Foundation for Children. In November 2025, Governor Hochul announced $550,000 in emergency assistance for SUNY’s community college food pantries to combat the food insecurity crisis. In September 2025, SUNY also hosted the first Basic Needs Summit to celebrate the SUNY campus and community members working to improve access to essential resources. SUNY also offers the Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), which provides access, academic support, and supplemental financial assistance to students from low-income backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. 

About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum.

Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
03/24/2026