SUNY Ulster presents 2026–27 budget; Ulster Ways and Means approves classroom renovation bonds

SUNY Ulster officials presented the college’s proposed 2026–27 operating and capital budgets to the Ulster County Ways and Means Committee on May 14, saying they would keep tuition rates flat while seeking additional county support and using fund balance to stabilize operations. Michael Schreiber, SUNY Ulster’s vice president of administration and finance, told members the proposal assumes a 3% enrollment-growth model and would seek a $475,000 increase in the county maintenance-of-effort contribution.

The committee heard that tuition revenue is projected to add roughly $200,000 to overall revenues and that total additional revenue is about $1,000,000, split among multiple categories. Schreiber said salaries are expected to rise by about $461,000 and benefits by about $1,000,000 next year, with major drivers including healthcare-cost increases and contractual obligations. He also pointed to enrollment and retention efforts — including outreach to high-school students and a ‘reconnect’ initiative — as the basis for conservative revenue projections.

Why it matters: SUNY Ulster is the county-sponsored community college serving thousands of residents; decisions about local maintenance-of-effort, capital spending and tuition affect both county finances and college affordability. Committee members asked for clarity about whether enrollment projections were headcount or FTE; Schreiber responded that the model the college uses favors FTE when projecting state reimbursement and budget impacts.

In committee action tied to the presentation, members approved two capital resolutions to authorize classroom and student-support space renovations at SUNY Ulster, establish a capital project number and amend the county’s capital improvement plan and budget. The resolution language as read into the record included a maximum estimated cost figure that appears to be transcribed inconsistently in the meeting record; members approved the measure by voice vote.

What officials said: "Tuition rates, we are holding flat," Schreiber said during the presentation, adding that the college revised an earlier draft that had proposed a tuition increase. Dr. Buckley, who introduced Schreiber to the committee, thanked Chair Karen Collins and members for their partnership and emphasized the college’s role in workforce development and economic mobility for county residents.

Next steps: Schreiber said the board will consider any required modifications after committee action, and the finalized request will proceed through SUNY approval processes. The committee’s votes advance the capital project authorization; appropriations and final financing steps will follow through the county’s capital-budget and bond-issuance processes.

Notes on the record: The transcript of the meeting contains numeric reads of the resolution’s maximum estimated cost that are inconsistent (the number read aloud in the meeting text appears garbled). Committee documents and the final adopted resolution should be consulted for the precise dollar figures and bond authorization amounts.