Key Points
- Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York City mayor brings renewed attention to higher education and student affordability, but his power to enact statewide changes like tuition-free CUNY is limited.
- His most direct proposal affecting students is the Community to Classroom tuition assistance program, offering up to $12,000 a year for future teachers who commit to teaching in city schools.
- Mamdani also supports the New Deal for CUNY and fare-free buses, though both require cooperation from state leaders and funding beyond City Hall’s control.
Zohran Mamdani is set to win the New York City mayoral election on November 4, 2025, and it marks an ideological shift for the city. At 34, he will become the youngest mayor in more than a century. His campaign was built on economic fairness and education, played a role: from CUNY to K-12 classrooms.
For college students, Mamdani’s victory could shape city-level policies that affect tuition assistance, public school funding, and the cost of commuting. But it’s equally important to understand the limits of what a mayor can do.
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Tuition-for-Service Plan to Grow the Teacher Pipeline
The most immediate education proposal with a clear path forward is Mamdani’s Community to Classroom program. Announced in 2025, the plan aims to help the city meet its obligations under the 2022 state class size law, which requires all New York City classrooms to have between 20 and 25 students by 2028.
To help achieve that target, Mamdani wants the city to fund tuition assistance for future teachers. The program would bring in roughly 1,000 new teachers each year, at an estimated annual cost of $12 million. Participants would receive up to $12,000 per year in tuition assistance, free OMNY transit cards, help covering certification exam costs, and mentorship from current city teachers.
There would be two tracks:
- A high school-to-college track, offering college credits, mentorship, and tuition aid for students who commit to teaching in NYC schools after graduation.
- A career changer track, which provides similar tuition support for adults pursuing education degrees through CUNY or SUNY programs.
Funding would come from cutting “contracts and bloat” within the New York Education Department’s central bureaucracy.
For students pursuing education degrees, the program could translate directly into tuition relief and guaranteed employment - a rare combination in public service work.
Support for the “New Deal for CUNY”
Mamdani’s advocacy for CUNY students predates his mayoral campaign. As a state assemblymember, he voted against the 2022 state budget, arguing it failed to make adequate investments in the university system. In his floor speech, he cited the need to:
- Hire more academic advisors
- Create adjunct pay parity
- Expand campus mental health services
- Decrease and ultimately eliminate tuition
These goals align with the New Deal for CUNY (PDF File). The proposal calls for restoring free tuition, increasing public funding for infrastructure and staff, and addressing pay inequities for adjunct professors.
Mamdani also co-authored a bill to redirect property tax revenues from tax-exempt private universities like Columbia University and New York University to CUNY. Both institutions are among the largest landowners in the city but pay little or no property tax. They also happen to rank among the most expensive colleges in the country.
As mayor, Mamdani can continue to advocate for these reforms, particularly through city funding for CUNY’s community colleges, which rely more heavily on city dollars than their four-year counterparts.
However, the state controls the majority of CUNY’s funding, meaning any move toward tuition-free education would require approval from the New York State Legislature and Governor Kathy Hochul.
Free Buses and Transit Affordability
Mamdani has also made public transit a centerpiece of his affordability agenda, proposing fare-free bus service across New York City. He argues that bus riders are disproportionately working-class and that eliminating the $2.90 fare would improve access to jobs, schools, and essential services.
The idea follows a yearlong state-mandated pilot program that tested fare-free service on one bus route in each borough. According to MTA data, the trial reduced assaults on bus operators by 32%, though it did not significantly improve bus speeds.
The challenge lies in implementation. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a state-run agency, not under direct city control. The estimated cost of eliminating bus fares is roughly $630 million per year, raising questions about who would fund the program. Mamdani has suggested city investment, but budget watchdogs, including the Citizens Budget Commission, have warned that both the city and state face multibillion-dollar deficits in the coming years.
For students (particularly those commuting to CUNY campuses) free or discounted transit would significantly reduce costs. But without state cooperation or a new revenue stream, citywide fare elimination remains aspirational.
Political and Fiscal Roadblocks
While Mamdani’s platform has energized young and progressive voters, several structural hurdles stand between his campaign promises and full implementation:
- State Control: CUNY funding and MTA fare policy fall primarily under state jurisdiction. The mayor can advocate, budget for community colleges, and influence transit street design, but cannot unilaterally eliminate tuition or fares.
- Budget Constraints: The city faces projected budget gaps between $8 billion and $10 billion over the next few years, with federal Covid-era funding expiring. New programs will compete with housing, public safety, and other aid for limited resources.
- Scale of Need: To meet class size caps, the city must hire roughly 18,000 new teachers by 2028. Mamdani’s 1,000-per-year tuition aid program would help, but not close the gap.
What Students Can Expect
For college students, Mamdani’s election is likely to produce incremental but tangible benefits in the short term:
- Expanded tuition assistance opportunities for those pursuing education degrees.
- Potential transit discounts or limited-route no-fare pilot programs that lower commuting costs.
- Increased city funding for community colleges and advocacy for broader CUNY investment.
In the longer term, Mamdani’s success will depend on his ability to partner with state leaders and sustain public pressure for reinvestment in public higher education.
Bottom Line
Mamdani’s victory puts a bit of education back on the city’s policy agenda. His immediate impact could come from city-funded programs like Community to Classroom, while his larger ambitions — free CUNY tuition and fare-free transit — will require cooperation in Albany and new funding sources.
For New York’s students, that means watching what happens next closely. The outcomes may not happen overnight, but the direction of City Hall is unmistakably shifting toward making education and transportation more affordable for those who need it most.
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Editor: Colin Graves
Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals.
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