December 2024

Dear Colleagues,

To the dedicated educators of New York State who inspire the young minds of our students every day, we wish you a joyous holiday season filled with rest, relaxation, and the warmth of the season. Thank you for your tireless efforts to foster a lifelong love of learning, and for making a difference in the lives of our state's most precious resource, our children. 



Sincerely,

Betty A. Rosa

Commissioner

At the December 2024 Board of Regents meeting, the Board outlined its budget and legislative priorities for the 2025-26 school year.

Priorities include funding that will foster equity across New York State, promote historic preservation and better public experiences at the New York State Museum, New York State Library, and New York State Archives, and support students’ access to postsecondary education and preparation to enter the workforce.

Commissioner Betty A. Rosa highlighted the need for four meaningful updates to school aid formulas to ensure access to a world-class education for all. Details are available in the December Board of Regents presentation.

The Board’s top legislative and budget proposals include funding for the State Education Department to begin implementing the recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Graduation Measures, which were presented to the Board of Regents in November.

Additional State Aid requests include funding to support students with disabilities, planning to create a high school for students in detention, raising the BOCES Aid salary cap, and increasing participation in Career and Technical Education.

The proposals also continue to seek growth aid for districts experiencing an influx in enrollment that same school year, expand Universal Prekindergarten services at a higher per pupil rate targeting locations with unmet needs, and address capital needs at State-owned buildings, including the State Education Building.

Applications are open for the 2025 New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) In-Residency program. Students in grades 8-12 from across New York State are eligible to apply. All application information, including specific portfolio and audition requirements for each program, are available on the NYSSSA website.

This program will provide students with the opportunity to study alongside professional artists in a competitive yet nurturing environment. Each program will culminate in a public showcase or exhibition. The four-week program will be held on the SUNY Fredonia campus and will run from July 6 to August 2, 2025.

The Teacher of the Year program provides us with the opportunity to recognize some of our state's most outstanding educators. Every year, a New York State Teacher of the Year is chosen to serve as an ambassador for New York State teachers and New York State’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year.

Our Teacher of the Year website provides additional information, including how to nominate a teacher and/or submit an application.

The application deadline is February 7, 2025. Nominate an exemplary teacher today!

A remarkable discovery in Orange County, New York, has unearthed a complete mastodon jaw, marking the first such find in the State in over 11 years. Researchers from the New York State Museum and SUNY Orange recovered the jaw, along with additional bone fragments, from the backyard of a residence near Scotchtown, New York.

The fossils are scheduled for carbon dating and comprehensive analysis to determine the mastodon’s age, diet, and habitat during its lifetime. Following preservation and scientific analysis, the artifact will be featured in public programming at the State Museum in 2025.

A new exhibition, Margery Ryerson: Art is Contagious, is now open for public viewing at the New York State Museum. This landmark exhibition features more than 80 extraordinary works spanning Margery Ryerson’s illustrious career, including vibrant paintings, delicate watercolors, intricate prints, and evocative drawings. The collection celebrates Ryerson’s deep connections to New York and her remarkable yet understated impact on the art world.

The exhibition, located in the New York State Museum’s West Gallery, will be on view until September 7, 2025.

NYSED recently nominated 25 New York State high school seniors for the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Presidential Scholar recognition is one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students who represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people.

The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations, and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. Congratulations to the nominees!

The 2025-26 FAFSA and New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) applications are now open!

Students must complete FAFSA and TAP applications each year to receive an award.

Here’s what students and their families need to know:

• FAFSA Renewal: Renewing the FAFSA can be quick and easy. Much of the information provided by students and their families on the previous year’s FAFSA automatically carries over. Students should be sure to update any information that has changed since last year. To renew, visit the Federal Student Aid website and log in as a returning user. Visit the Prepare What You Need page for more information on the documentation needed to complete the FAFSA.
• NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP): To request payment of the TAP award each year, students must complete the NYS Student Aid Payment Application, which is linked directly from the FAFSA.

Students applying through the New York State DREAM Act can apply through their DREAM Act account.

Need assistance completing the FAFSA or TAP? Check HESC’s schedule of events for one-on-one help completing the applications.

Sign up to receive texts from HESC with key information about financial aid, important deadline dates, and resources to help students on their path to higher education.

The New York State STEM Incentive Program application opened on December 1 for students attending a SUNY or CUNY college. To be eligible, students must: 

• Apply in their senior year of high school.
• Be ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class at a New York State high school.
• Be enrolled in a qualifying full-time undergraduate STEM program at a New York State SUNY or CUNY college.
• Be a legal resident of New York State and have lived there continuously for 12 months.
• Agree to live and work in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics in New York State for five years.

Students who do not meet residency requirements may qualify through the New York State Dream Act.

For more information and to apply, visit the STEM Incentive Program website.