Builds on Governor Hochul’s Plan to Offer Free Community College for Students Aged 25-55 Who Pursue Degrees in High-Demand Fields at Public Universities

Governor Kathy Hochul on Feb 24th, announced $1.1 million in grants for 22 community colleges statewide to implement wide-ranging action plans designed to help more adult learners access transformational educational opportunities that lead to upward mobility. These grants build on Governor Hochul’s multifaceted commitment to creating more workforce development opportunities to ensure every New Yorker can pursue a degree or credential that helps access jobs in high-demand fields. That includes the Governor’s transformational proposal to offer free community college tuition, fees, books, and supplies for adults ages 25 to 55 who pursue degrees in fields like health care, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and green jobs.

“For millions of New Yorkers, community college can be the path to upward mobility and economic security, opening the door to a wide array of workforce opportunities,” Governor Hochul said. “Working with SUNY, we are tackling the barriers that stand in the way of New Yorkers accessing these potentially transformational educational pathways. The Adult Learner Leadership Initiative builds on our commitment to empowering people in every corner of the state to participate in generational economic opportunities.”

Through SUNY’s Adult Learner Leadership Initiative, community colleges will work to break down barriers that stand in the way of students age 25 and older accessing and completing higher education programs. These measures will include expanded use of credit for prior learning, wraparound support, and flexible scheduling.

More than one in four SUNY community college students are age 25 or older, with nearly two-thirds of them attending college part-time. What’s more, an estimated 1.5 million working-age New Yorkers have completed some college but have not yet obtained a degree.

In support of Governor Hochul’s work to make higher education more affordable and build the workforce of the future, the new grants will help community colleges meet adult learners where they are, creating a greater sense of belonging on campus and addressing the unique needs of adults working to earn a degree.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “SUNY's community colleges are engines of upward mobility, and Governor Hochul’s proposal for a free community college degree in high-demand fields will help connect more working-age New Yorkers to economic opportunity. Our campuses are ready to step up to help more adult learners earn a community college associate degree and advance in their careers.”

Adult Learner Leadership Initiative grant awardees are:

• SUNY Adirondack Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners; use of online and blended learning
  
  
• SUNY Broome Community College ($50,000): Expanded use of co-requisite models to address gaps in academic preparation; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners; use of online and blended learning
  
  
• Cayuga Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of co-requisite models to address gaps in academic preparation; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; transparency on course schedules and advance course scheduling; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
  
  
• Clinton Community College ($48,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
  
  
• Columbia-Greene Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
  
  
• Corning Community College ($41,928): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; expanded use of co-requisite models to address gaps in academic preparation; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; alignment of campus policies with adult learner needs
  
  
• Dutchess Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings
  
  
• SUNY Erie Community College ($50,000): Availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; transparency on course schedules and advance course scheduling; the use of online and blended learning
  
  
• Finger Lakes Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; alignment of campus policies with adult learner needs
  
  
• FIT ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; use of online and blended learning
  
  
• Fulton-Montgomery Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
  
  
• Jefferson Community College ($37,200): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; use of online and blended learning
  
  
• Monroe Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
  
  
• Niagara County Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners; alignment of campus policies with adult learner needs
  
  
• North Country Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; use of online and blended learning
  
  
• Onondaga Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners; use of online and blended learning
  
  
• SUNY Orange Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
  
  
• SUNY Schenectady Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; use of online and blended learning
  
  
• Sullivan County Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
  
  
• Tompkins Cortland Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners
  
  
• SUNY Ulster Community College ($50,000): Marketing and recruitment targeted to specific adult learner populations; expanded use of credit for prior learning; alignment of campus policies with adult learner needs
  
  
• SUNY Westchester Community College ($49,933): Expanded use of credit for prior learning; availability of academic offerings and non-academic support in-person on weekends/evenings; transparency on course schedules and advance course scheduling; creating a sense of belonging for adult learners

Campuses will utilize grants to build out their strategies to support adult learners through July before beginning implementation no later than the fall 2025 semester. The grants are made possible through the SUNY Transformation Fund that Governor Hochul championed in the 2023-24 enacted State budget.

Complete College America President Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva said, “Any viable effort to increase college completion and educational attainment rates on a state or national level must include proven strategies to support adult learners. New York and the SUNY system continue to serve as leaders in this regard through their advancement of programs, policies and practices that will pay off in the long term for the state’s learners, workforce, and economy. SUNY’s Adult Learning Initiative is one such program that clearly demonstrates the state’s strategic inclusion and prioritization of adults seeking to earn a degree or credential of value in their overall attainment efforts.”

Jobs for the Future Director Rachel Pleasants McDonnell said, “We applaud this investment in SUNY’s community colleges to transform the adult learning experience. Free tuition for degrees in high-demand fields is an important step toward making postsecondary education more accessible to this growing population of learners. Equally as critical is SUNY’s comprehensive approach to strengthening career advising, making clear labor market connections, and accelerating emerging options like credit for prior learning.”

Lumina Foundation Strategy Officer Dr. Katy Launius said, “Through the REACH Collaborative, SUNY community colleges created on-ramps to credentials in high-demand fields that lead to careers with family-sustaining wages. Their efforts to remove barriers, provide flexibility, and expand supports means that more of today’s students are achieving their goals for themselves and their communities.”