New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said that the State University of New York [SUNY] system could take in $340 million in additional revenue over four years if it increases out-of-state tuition to the equivalent of other states’ public universities.
According to DiNapoli, SUNY charges, on average, $8,400 less for undergraduate out-of-state tuition than public universities in other states. If increased, some of the additional $340 million could be passed on as a savings to in-state students.
Emily DeSantis, spokesperson for the comptroller, said that in-state students could save at least $1,000 over the course of four years with this route, and it would not drastically affect out-of-state students’ decisions to apply.
“There won’t be a great decline; SUNY will still be much more affordable in comparison to private universities,” DeSantis said.
At Binghamton University, non–New Yorkers pay $22,260, about one-third more than in-state students, which is still significantly less than public universities elsewhere.
According to SUNY spokesman David Henahan, many other states permit campuses to charge different out-of-state tuition rates based on the university and the programs offered.
“SUNY seeks this same flexibility in order to maximize revenue for our campuses and ensure quality and access,” he said. “In order to achieve the goals set out by the comptroller, SUNY would need to keep all of the tuition increase and SUNY campuses would need the flexibility to charge different out-of-state tuition, based on institution type.”
The Commission on Higher Education recommends amending the Education Law to permit SUNY and CUNY to charge differential tuition rates by program and by campus, with the revenues generated returned to the campuses for investment.
According to SUNY’s Web site, the Commission looks to build on a foundation of excellence, make resources required for excellence available and further build on the foundation of SUNY schools.
“We appreciate that the comptroller recognizes the quality of a SUNY education and the importance of continued access for New Yorkers,” Henahan said.
Corrected on Oct. 10: The quote, “In order to achieve the goals set out by the comptroller, SUNY would need to keep all of the tuition increase and SUNY campuses would need the flexibility to charge different out-of-state tuition, based on institution type,” was misattributed in the original version of this story. The quote belongs to SUNY spokesman David Henahan.