He needs to wait until he gets to the campus and sees what bank has a branch there and ATMs (probably more important as he will be charged for getting cash from other banks' ATMs).
It is possible he will need a state ID as well as his student card/ID before he sets up the bank account for bank ID purposes. There is a difference between a state ID and a driver's licence. He needs to find out from whoever sorted his student visa for him how to go about getting a state ID and if he will need one. A student card will probably not be sufficient ID outside of the university.
If he is in a dorm...
he will need to supply himself with laundry detergent and dryer sheets while he's there, and have a supply of quarters (25c - normally a wash takes four = $1 and a dry takes another $1) for using the washing machines and dryers (though sometimes the student card can be used for the laundry facilities and an amount topped into that; if the student ID also serves as his meal swiping card then it may also be useable for laundry and he won't need the dratted quarters). Cheap detergent will be fine. No need to buy Tide. He will find all of this in Walmart or Target. He may find there is some sort of shuttle or bus service to the nearest Walmart/Target, etc. If not then he should take a city bus and buy a detergent container that will give him enough washes to last a long time, assuming he will do a white wash and a coloured wash every week.
He will need a cheap nylon mesh laundry bag. They sell pop up hampers that have handles that can be carried to the laundry room.
He also needs to bring his own towels and a bathmat that does not have a rubber backing that can be washed in a machine and dried in the dryer without melting. He will need a pair of cheap flip flops for going to the shower and wearing in the bathroom, especially if he will be using a communal bathroom.
He will (possibly) need a mattress pad (sometimes they are supplied) and at least one set of fitted sheets in extra long size US student dorms have extra long twinsize (US) beds. No normal sized fitted sheets will fit the extra long bed. He should not bring UK sheets. They will not fit. He will need to bring his own duvet they are not easy to come by in the US. If he doesn't want to bring a large puffy duvet for baggage surcharge reasons then he will need to get blankets or bedding in the US (Walmart or Target) or have a duvet delivered to the dorm from IKEA. He will need to get a pillow and pillowcase(s).
All the bedding is available in Target and Walmart but it disappears from stores soon after school starts. In a college town he is more likely to find the Walmart or Target closest to the college carries college stuff for longer or even for the whole year. You might like to look at Target.com (nice soft sheets, even their cheapest 'RE' - Room Essentials - brand) or Walmart.com (not the same quality as Target but cheap also). Both offer online ordering but you would have to sort out where they can be delivered to and when, whether they could be stored for him at the university, etc. Or maybe there is a MNer in Albany who could hold onto them for him?
However, you may not find the cheapest items online. You would also have to check whether they can accept an order from the UK. Another place to look for back to college items like sheets, etc., is Bed Bath and Beyond, and also Amazon.com, where he may be able to use a student discount.
He will need a desk lamp (cheap, under $15) and he will probably need to get a US phone. Virgin Mobile has payg plans and ok phones. There are companies like CelticTel.com that sell international minutes with an 800 access code and pin number. He needs to check that he would be able to use his US phone for international calls without paying a fortune, or better still set up a skype account and keep in contact that way.
He needs to check what he will need in terms of tech stuff. The housing office will be able to tell him if he will need any cables, etc., for his computer. He will need a laptop and he will need to buy this in the US because of electricity differences or else buy a converter for one he already has. He and the roommate will need a few power strips with ground fault interrupters (Walmart, Target, BestBuy). There are never enough outlets in college rooms.
If he has already been assigned a roommate then he will need to liaison with the roommate (look him up on FB) about a microwave, tv and mini-fridge and who will bring what. Fridges can be rented at most campuses. They sell for under $130 new, sometimes far less and used less again, but renting might be a good option. Most colleges don't allow toaster ovens.
Earplugs might come in handy.
International Student page at SUNY Albany