{"id":3264,"date":"2026-09-28T11:14:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T15:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/?p=3264"},"modified":"2026-09-28T11:14:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T15:14:23","slug":"new-york-city-council-and-cuny-announce-launch-of-new-pilot-program-giving-free-unlimited-omny-cards-to-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/2026\/09\/28\/3264\/","title":{"rendered":"New York City Council and CUNY Announce Launch of New Pilot Program Giving Free, Unlimited OMNY Cards to Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Initial cohort of 700 CUNY students will receive the transit cards, funded with $700k secured by the Council in FY27 budget<\/em><\/p>\n

NEW YORK<\/strong> \u2013 The New York City Council and the City University of New York (CUNY) today launched the CUNY OMNY Pilot Program to give free, unlimited OMNY cards to students. Council Speaker Julie Menin, CUNY Chancellor F\u00e9lix V. Matos Rodr\u00edguez, and Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu \u2014 together with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the CUNY University Student Senate, and Council Member Harvey Epstein \u2014 made the announcement this morning at the City College of New York.<\/p>\n

The press conference was streamed here<\/a>, and photos will be available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Speaker Menin and the Council secured $700,000 in the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget<\/a> to fund the new pilot program, which will serve an estimated 700 students in the initial cohort. These students were notified by email last Tuesday, September 22, and instructed to pick up their cards at a designated location on their respective campus. The cards will be active beginning next week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am thrilled about the launch of this new pilot in partnership with CUNY, part of our major push to fund targeted transit affordability programs supporting the New Yorkers who need them most,\u201d said Speaker Julie Menin.<\/strong> \u201cHundreds of students will no longer have to worry about whether they can afford the journey to school, a barrier that in part forces some to drop out. Instead, students can focus on the destinations that matter most: graduation, a good-paying job, and upward economic mobility.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFree, unlimited transit will ease a real financial burden and help CUNY students focus on what matters most: their education,\u201d said CUNY Chancellor F\u00e9lix V. Matos Rodr\u00edguez<\/strong>. \u201cThis pilot program reflects CUNY\u2019s mission as an engine of opportunity and demonstrates what is possible when we invest in equitable solutions that support students both inside and outside the classroom. We thank Speaker Menin and the New York City Council for recognizing that transportation access is educational access.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCUNY students have the whole world in front of them, and affordable transit is what gets them there,\u201d said Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, Chair of the Committee on Transportation. <\/strong>\u201cUnlimited OMNY cards for 700 of the students that need it most will ensure that the cost of a fare never stands between them and class, an internship, or any other opportunity in our city that can open up their future. I\u2019m proud to have worked alongside Speaker Menin to secure this funding in this year\u2019s budget, and I thank her for her continued leadership on transit affordability across New York.\u201d<\/p>\n

Affordable, reliable transportation is a critical component of student success \u2014 a principle already demonstrated through established Council-supported programs, like CUNY ASAP, which provides unlimited OMNY cards as part of a broader package of comprehensive financial support. This new standalone pilot program builds on that model, extending transportation assistance to CUNY students beyond those in the ASAP program.<\/p>\n

To participate, students must be Pell-eligible, enrolled full-time with at least 12 credits in both the fall and spring semesters, and taking a minimum of two in-person courses. Students who already receive transportation support through other programs, such as CUNY ASAP, are not eligible for this pilot.<\/p>\n

Students selected for the fall cohort will be screened again for continued eligibility before receiving the spring benefit. In addition to the 700 students selected, 300 students were placed on a waitlist to fill spots should current participants become ineligible. Of the approximately 54,000 CUNY students who met these eligibility criteria, more than 28,500 completed an interest form distributed by email, demonstrating a widespread need for and interest in this program.<\/p>\n

Participating students will receive a physical OMNY card configured for unlimited usage, active from October 5 through December 25, 2026, for the fall semester, and a 120-day unlimited pass covering the full spring semester beginning January 28, 2027. Students will have the option to add their cards to a virtual wallet once the MTA introduces that capability, projected for the end of 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy including $700,000 in funding to support free OMNY cards for students that need them most, we are eliminating barriers to pursuing a higher education that helps move them up the economic ladder,\u201d said Council Member Harvey Epstein. <\/strong>\u201cThanks to Speaker Menin and my colleagues, including Finance Chair Lee and Higher Education Chair Joseph for their leadership, as well as the many CUNY students who advocated effectively for themselves and their peers. This takes us one step closer to making education accessible for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor many New Yorkers, affordability isn\u2019t an abstract debate. It\u2019s the $3 they pay every time you swipe, twice a day, just to get to class or to work. The $3 they then can\u2019t use to feed themselves or pay for an unexpected expense,\u201d said Council Member Cystal Hudson. <\/strong>\u201cFree OMNY cards for CUNY students take that weight off those who are already stretching every dollar to build a better future for themselves and their families. This pilot \u2014 coupled with the Council\u2019s recent expansion of Fair Fares and the Mayor\u2019s work to establish fast and free buses \u2014 shows what it looks like when the city treats transit as the lifeline it is and tackles the affordability crisis head on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic transit is the ultimate connector and CUNY students are an integral part of the lifeblood of the city\u2019s student population,\u201d said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara<\/strong>. \u201cThe MTA is proud to support the City Council, CUNY and its students to expand access to Student OMNY cards to those most in financial need, allowing for easier navigation for studies and leisure activities across New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting accepted into college means little if you cannot afford to get there,\u201d said Akkeem Polack, Chairperson of the CUNY University Student Senate. <\/strong>\u201cFor three years, the CUNY University Student Senate, alongside student leaders and advocates across our city, has pushed to make transportation an essential part of the conversation about educational access. Today, that advocacy is translating into meaningful action through our partnership with the New York City Council and CUNY. This is about more than a ride to campus. It is about the student who can now attend class consistently, pursue an internship, or stay on track to graduate without transportation costs standing in the way. We have opened the door to higher education for generations of New Yorkers. Now, we must make sure they can afford to walk through it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is such an important step to boosting upward mobility for New Yorkers,\u201d said Jonathan Bowles, Executive Director of the Center for an Urban Future.<\/strong> \u201cTransportation costs are one of the biggest barriers to student success at CUNY, too often causing students to drop out before they can reap the full economic mobility benefits of a CUNY degree. Providing a free OMNY card will help more students earn a credential and springboard to the middle class.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAffordable public transit is essential to getting around and getting ahead in New York,\u201d said Riders Alliance Executive Director Betsy Plum.<\/strong> \u201cProviding free bus and subway fares to 700 CUNY students will provide immediate savings for young people who need it. Free CUNY OMNY cards will advance individual education and career goals while also enabling greater participation in city life, benefitting all of us. Thanks to Speaker Menin, Chancellor Matos Rodriguez, and Majority Leader Abreu for piloting free transit at CUNY. I expect highly positive outcomes from the program and look forward to more to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

The OMNY card pilot represents part of the Council\u2019s broad push to support transit affordability programs in the FY27 budget. Importantly, Speaker Menin and the Council secured funding for the largest Fair Fares expansion in program history, increasing eligibility from 150% of the federal poverty level up to 200%. An additional 340,000 low-income residents will soon have access to half-price subway, bus, and paratransit fares, raising total eligibility to approximately 1.3 million New Yorkers. Last week, the Council passed legislation,<\/a> introduced by Council Member Hudson, aimed at increasing Fair Fares program enrollment by streamlining the application process.<\/p>\n

As part of the FY27 Adopted Budget agreement, the Council also secured approximately $20 million for other CUNY programs, including $14.6 million in additional funding for ASAP between the associate- and bachelor\u2019s-degree pathways, beyond the $85 million in baselined funding.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Initial cohort of 700 CUNY students will receive the transit cards, funded with $700k secured by the Council in FY27 budget<\/em><\/p>\n

NEW YORK<\/strong> \u2013 The New York City Council and the City University of New York (CUNY) today launched the CUNY OMNY Pilot Program to give free, unlimited OMNY cards to students. Council Speaker Julie Menin, CUNY Chancellor F\u00e9lix V.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

READ MORE<\/a><\/small><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":342,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/342"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3264"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3264\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3265,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3264\/revisions\/3265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/council.nyc.gov\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}