The City University of New York said on February 18, 2026 that it had secured a record $25 million in federal fiscal 2026 appropriations, money that will fund 21 projects across 15 of its campuses and underwrite training in fields from artificial intelligence to cybersecurity, public safety and student support.
The award, secured through congressionally directed spending, is the largest federal earmark haul in recent memory for the nation’s largest urban public university and a 66% jump from the $15 million CUNY received in fiscal 2024. It lands as the system navigates tight city and state budgets and growing pressure on federal higher-education funding.
Where the money goes
The $25 million is spread across 21 individual projects at 15 campuses in all five boroughs. The university grouped the spending into several priorities:
- Workforce development in emerging fields, including artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, aimed at training students for jobs in growing industries.
- Public-safety and violence-intervention programs.
- Maternal mental health and perinatal care services.
- Restorative-justice programs.
- Student supports such as childcare and emergency assistance.
The mix reflects CUNY’s dual role as both a workforce pipeline and a social-mobility engine for a student body that is heavily working-class, immigrant and first-generation.
Who secured it
The funding was directed by New York’s congressional delegation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand led on the Senate side, joined in the House by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and nine other city representatives — among them Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, Daniel Goldman, Nicole Malliotakis, Gregory Meeks, Grace Meng, Jerrold Nadler and Ritchie Torres.
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez framed the appropriation as protecting the system’s core mission, saying federal support would safeguard CUNY’s ability to provide an affordable, high-quality education that prepares students for academic and professional success.
The fiscal backdrop
The federal award arrives against a strained budget picture. CUNY has been pressing Albany for more state aid beyond proposed increases and has sought roughly $2 billion in capital funds, much of it to bring aging community colleges into a state of good repair and chip away at a deferred-maintenance backlog. At the city level, the Council and the comptroller have flagged gaps in operating support for CUNY programs such as Reconnect and ACE.
Against that strain, a record $25 million in directed federal spending is meaningful but bounded — enough to launch and sustain targeted programs across the system, not enough to close the structural funding shortfalls CUNY has documented. The size of the increase, though, signals that the city’s congressional delegation is treating the university as a funding priority even as federal higher-education dollars face broader pressure.
Why it matters
CUNY enrolls hundreds of thousands of students and is one of the country’s most powerful drivers of economic mobility, moving low-income students into the middle class at rates that outpace most institutions. Federal investment in its AI, cybersecurity and workforce programs ties the university directly to the industries the city is betting on for future growth — and to the affordability mission that defines it. The $25 million is a down payment on both.
Verification
- CUNY received record $25 million in FY2026 federal funds for 21 projects across 15 campuses; AI/cybersecurity, public safety, maternal health, restorative justice, student supports; Chancellor Matos Rodríguez quote; 66% increase over FY2024’s $15 million — https://www.cuny.edu/news/cuny-receives-a-record-25-million-in-federal-funding-from-senators-schumer-and-gillibrand-rep-jeffries-and-new-york-citys-congressional-delegation/
- Funding secured by Schumer, Gillibrand, Jeffries and nine other NYC House members — https://www.cuny.edu/news/cuny-receives-a-record-25-million-in-federal-funding-from-senators-schumer-and-gillibrand-rep-jeffries-and-new-york-citys-congressional-delegation/
- CUNY and SUNY seeking more state aid beyond proposed increases — https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2026/02/suny-cuny-seek-more-state-aid-beyond-proposed-increases/411482/
- Council identified funding gaps for CUNY programs (Reconnect, ACE) and ~$2B capital ask — https://council.nyc.gov/press/2025/05/14/2871/
- Federal funding pressure on NY higher education — https://www.osc.ny.gov/reports/budget/fed-funding-ny/federal-impact-higher-education
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much federal funding did CUNY receive?
- CUNY announced February 18, 2026 that it secured a record $25 million in federal fiscal 2026 appropriations, supporting 21 projects across 15 of its campuses citywide. That is a 66% increase over the $15 million it received in fiscal 2024.
- What does the money pay for?
- It funds workforce development in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, public-safety and violence-intervention programs, maternal mental health and perinatal care, restorative justice, and student supports including childcare and emergency aid.
- Who secured the funding?
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and nine other members of New York City's House delegation, including Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, Grace Meng, Ritchie Torres and Nicole Malliotakis.
- Who leads CUNY?
- Félix V. Matos Rodríguez is the chancellor of the City University of New York, the nation's largest urban public university system.