Chancellor Matos Rodriguez on CUNY enrollment growth and affordability
Chancellor Matos Rodriguez delivers opening testimony, thanking the Council and highlighting that 72% of CUNY students attend tuition-free and 77% graduate without debt, with enrollment growing nearly 4% in the fall.
Okay, thank you.
Good morning, Chair Lee and Chair Joseph and the members of the City Council Committees on Finance and Higher Education.
I am Felix Matos Rodriguez, the Chancellor of the City University of New York, and I'm joined by the CUNY Dream Team of University Provost Alvaro, COO Batista, and CFO Gardner.
I want to thank the City Council for your steadfast commitment to CUNY.
Your investment sustained what has long defined this university, brought access to affordable,
high-quality education for one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation, and a pathway to social and economic mobility for generations of New Yorkers.
Your support has been essential to delivering strong returns for the more than 400,000 degree-seeking and continuing education students we serve,
allowing 72% of CUNY students to attend tuition-free and 77% to graduate without debt.
I just want to give you a warning that I'm going to be reading a shorter version of the submitted testimony that you have a copy of, and I assume that you'll be happy about that.
Our affordable tuition and diverse offerings and support systems have helped fuel enrollment gains.
This fall, enrollment grew nearly 4% over last fall, the third consecutive year of growth.
Since the fall of 2022, enrollment has jumped 9%, nearly 21,000 additional students.
This increase is most evident in our community colleges.
Enrollment at CUNY's seven community colleges has rebounded from the pandemic, with an additional 9,500 students welcomed over the last three years, an 18% increase.