Governor Hochul’s proposed FY 2026 budget includes $20 million to expand ACE and ASAP—proven programs that boost graduation rates by upward of 40 percent by providing intensive academic advising, tuition support, textbooks, and free public transit cards for CUNY and SUNY students. Of this total, $8 million is allocated to CUNY ACE and ASAP and $12 million to SUNY ACE and ASAP.

This investment reflects a core recommendation from CUF’s March 2023 report, Playing New York City’s ACE Card, and follow-up op-ed, which urged Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to invest in scaling up CUNY ACE. Our research showed that only 3 percent of eligible CUNY students participate in ACE due to limited funding—and that nearly all current support comes from New York City.

With this expansion, the state is helping thousands more New Yorkers earn bachelor’s degrees and access higher-paying jobs, boosting economic mobility across the city and state.