The City College of New York is the recipient of US$5.1 million in both Federal and State funding for projects supporting workforce development and the CCNY-based CUNY Dominican Studies Institute [DSI]. The funds are part of a record US$25 million in US Congressional Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations to CUNY.
Of CCNY’s Federal allotment, US$3.1 million was procured by U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) for the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute.
Founded in 1992, CUNY DSI is the nation’s first university-based research institute devoted to the study of people of Dominican descent in the United States and other parts of the world.
“This support will lead to more community events at the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute at City College. I won’t stop fighting for the resources to support CUNY and its students as they pursue a high-quality higher education,” said Schumer.
The funding also will enable the DSI to renovate and expand its facility, allowing for more workshops.
The remaining US$2 million in Federal support for CCNY was secured by Espaillat for the College’s Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Development Initiative (RIWI). It will expand RIWI’s skills-based workforce development programs for low-income New Yorkers through increased access to computer labs, instruments and career opportunities.
Espaillat is a longtime supporter and advocate of RIWI, which is in his Congressional District. This latest funding brings to nearly $13 million the amount raised by the Congressman for the Initiative, whose overarching goal is to prepare local workforce for the crucial work of rebuilding America’s Infrastructure.
CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez lauded New York’s congressional delegation for the funding to CCNY and other CUNY schools. “Federal support will safeguard CUNY’s proven ability to provide an affordable, high-quality education that prepares students for academic and professional success in a fast-changing world,” he said.
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Dominican Studies Institute
26 February 2026