Governor Hochul Announces Opportunity for Students Disenrolled From Howard University to Earn Their Degree at SUNY and CUNY

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York State is prepared to help students impacted by Howard University's recent decision to disenroll more than 500 admitted students ahead of Fall 2026 classes beginning later this summer. Governor Hochul has directed the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) to work to ensure that every impacted New York resident student will have the opportunity to seek admission to participating SUNY or CUNY institutions for the Fall 2026 semester. Additionally, all impacted students will receive expedited late admissions review at participating campuses with available capacity.

"Hundreds of students, including New Yorkers, are scrambling and scared since they've been disenrolled from their intended college just a few weeks before classes are set to begin," Governor Hochul said. "New York is home to the nation's finest systems of public higher education, and we are ready to welcome these talented students with the opportunity they deserve. To every student who is worried that their educational future has been disrupted: New York is ready to support and empower you."

Under Governor Hochul's plan, participating SUNY and CUNY campuses will use existing capacity in their Fall 2026 entering classes, ensuring that this initiative will not reduce opportunities for other New York students seeking admission. Potential participating SUNY campuses that will provide expedited admissions review include the State University of New York at Albany, the State University of New York at Binghamton, the State University of New York at Buffalo, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, SUNY Buffalo State University, SUNY New Paltz, and SUNY Oneonta, with additional campuses reviewing available capacity.

State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, "There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and we want to empower all students with access to the affordable, excellent public higher education they deserve. We thank Governor Hochul for her leadership and vision to support students who recently were disenrolled elsewhere and ensure they are able to pursue their academic goals at SUNY campuses."

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "Uplifting students and empowering them to reach their full potential with an affordable, excellent public higher education is foundational to the SUNY System. Under Governor Hochul's leadership, SUNY will be able to support students who were disenrolled from the school they planned to attend, and will ensure they are able to continue their academic journeys without interruption."

City University of New York Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said, "CUNY's mission is to expand access to higher education for all students, not restrict it based on financial means. To these students currently facing uncertainty and left in academic limbo: our doors are open, our admissions are expedited, and your dream of a college degree remains well within reach. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her vision and swift action to help these displaced students find a home in our public university system."

CUNY Board of Trustees Chairperson William C. Thompson Jr. said, "The Board of Trustees is dedicated to ensuring CUNY is responsive whenever New Yorkers face unexpected hurdles. Thanks to Governor Hochul's decisive leadership, we have moved quickly to work with these students to provide the stability, academic excellence, and the immediate support they need."

Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman said, "It is unfortunate that several students planning to attend Howard University were disenrolled last week," said Assemblywoman Alicia L. Hyndman, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education. "To help impacted New York residents, the State is guaranteeing admission to participating SUNY or CUNY campuses. The state is also willing to help other scholars nationwide who are eligible for expedited late admission review for the fall semester at campuses with available capacity. With soaring financial costs, pursuing higher education is already hard. Let's help make it easier for those who want to better themselves and pursue their dreams."

Impacted students and families seeking additional information about eligibility, participating campuses and the admissions process are encouraged to visit SUNY at www.suny.edu/howard or CUNY at https://www.cuny.edu/admissions/undergraduate/.

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. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.

About the City University of New York

The City University of New York is the nation's largest urban public university, a transformative engine of social mobility that is a critical component of the lifeblood of New York City. Founded in 1847 as the nation's first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today has seven community colleges, 11 senior colleges and eight graduate or professional institutions spread across New York City's five boroughs, serving nearly 240,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awarding 50,000 degrees each year. CUNY's mix of quality and affordability propels almost six times as many low-income students into the middle class and beyond as all the Ivy League colleges combined. More than 80 percent of the University's graduates stay in New York, contributing to all aspects of the city's economic, civic and cultural life and diversifying the city's workforce in every sector. CUNY's graduates and faculty have received many prestigious honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes and 26 MacArthur "genius" grants. The University's historic mission continues to this day: provide a first-rate public education to all students, regardless of means or background. To learn more about CUNY, visit www.cuny.edu.