New York’s Staten Island — Soon, qualified New Yorkers will have the opportunity to attend one of the public institutions in the state for free in order to pursue jobs in some of the most in-demand industries.
In her 2025 State of the State address on Tuesday, Governor Kathy Hochul proposed free SUNY and CUNY community college educations for New Yorkers between the ages of 25 and 55 who want to work in high-demand professions like teaching, nursing, technology, engineering, and more.
My family was able to escape poverty and obtain better-paying employment thanks to my dad’s college degree. Over the past two years, we have increased eligibility and more than doubled tuition support at SUNY and CUNY in collaboration with the legislature, Hochul added.
Now, we’re taking it a step further: we’re going to make community college free for students between the ages of 25 and 55 who want to pursue careers in high-demand industries like advanced manufacturing, teaching, and healthcare. The governor went on to say that this fills job vacancies in these vital industries and provides significant savings for New Yorkers looking to start new careers.
In addition to providing more financing for career assistance infrastructure at state universities to better connect students with post-graduate job prospects, the proposal would require the state to pay for all program participants’ tuition, books, and fees.
2025 State of the State
Hochul’s 2025 State of the State address included a number of measures, including the proposal to offer free college tuition. These included improving affordability, strengthening public safety, constructing housing, achieving climate goals, and more.
More than 200 proposals covering a wide range of themes are included in the 2025 State of the State book, which is accessible to the public online.
The governor started out by discussing the escalating affordability crisis in New York and laying forth a number of suggestions aimed at putting money back into the hands of the people.
Proposals for affordability include universal free school meals for all kids, an enlarged state child tax credit of up to $1,000 per child, inflation refund checks of up to $500 per family, and a middle class tax cut that will affect over 8.3 million New Yorkers earning less than $323,000.
A first-in-nation Crime Analysis and Joint Special Operations Command Headquarters, more funding to increase investments in crime prevention technology and equipment for local law enforcement agencies, new protections for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and new programs to recruit, train, and protect first responders are just a few of the proposals aimed at reducing crime and enhancing public safety.
The governor suggested expanding NYPD presence on platforms and trains, including police patrols on every train between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. over the next six months, in order to improve safety throughout the whole subway system in New York City.
Hochul suggested legislation to crack down on landlords who use price-fixing algorithms to raise housing costs, limiting private equity purchases of single- and two-family homes, and establishing New York’s first revolving loan fund to encourage mixed-income rental development outside of New York City in order to address the state’s housing shortage and affordability issues.
A $1 billion climate investment that will create thousands of jobs, lower energy costs, and reduce harmful emissions is one of the climate-related plans. Other proposals include decarbonizing SUNY and CUNY campuses and creating a plan for advanced nuclear energy in New York.
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