Governor Hochul Visits Adult Students at Suffolk County Community College, Encourages New Yorkers to Sign Up for Free Community College Through SUNY Reconnect

Governor Kathy Hochul visited Suffolk County Community College as part of her efforts to highlight the SUNY Reconnect program to provide free community college for adult learners, ages 25-55, who don’t already have a college degree and who are pursuing an associate degree in a high-demand field.  The SUNY Reconnect program, which will begin in fall 2025, is part of Governor Hochul’s ongoing efforts to empower New Yorkers to pursue good jobs, and to ensure employers have access to a well-educated workforce to help the state’s economy thrive.

“In every corner of our state, adult New Yorkers will have access to free community college so they will be able to realize their dreams of better jobs in high-demand industries,” Governor Hochul said.  “Through SUNY Reconnect, community colleges like Suffolk County Community College will offer a world-class education to New Yorkers, for free, and will help empower these future leaders to turbo-charge our state economy and pursue paths to upward mobility.”

Launched in mid-May following passage of the 2025-26 State Budget, SUNY Reconnect will make it possible for eligible adult students, ages 25-55, to pursue degrees in high-demand fields for free at SUNY community colleges throughout the state.  To help prospective students learn more, SUNY community colleges are holding informational sessions and recruitment events.  An updated listing can be found at: https://www.suny.edu/communitycollege/free-cc/sessions/.  Governor Hochul was joined by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. as they visited Suffolk County Community College where they highlighted the school’s Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) program, which is an eligible associate degree program under the free community college initiative.  To support adult learner success through SUNY Reconnect, Suffolk County Community College will utilize online and hybrid options for students that need to work while attending classes.  Students will also have access to personal support specifically for adult learners, including on-campus childcare centers.

SUNY Chancellor King said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, SUNY is on the move and our community colleges are stepping up to help New Yorkers around the state earn a degree in high-need fields.  SUNY community colleges are pathways to upward mobility, and with the support of Governor Hochul and state leaders, Suffolk County Community College and all SUNY community colleges are ensuring that every eligible New Yorker interested in a degree in a high-need field will be able to unleash their full potential.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “SUNY has been New Yorkers’ engine of upward mobility and access to a world-class, affordable higher education for 77 years, and with the support of Governor Hochul SUNY Reconnect represents a bold new chapter in our history of service.  By offering a community college education free of charge for adult learners seeking degrees in high-need fields, Governor Hochul and state leaders made a bold investment in the future of our state economy and workforce.”

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “Free community college for adult learners opens new doors for New Yorkers and ensures skilled and knowledgeable workers in sectors that communities statewide rely on, including education, healthcare, and technology.  I thank Governor Hochul for advancing workforce development initiatives through SUNY programs that not only set up adult students for success but also help make the state an affordable place to live, work, and raise a family.”

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “Everyone's educational journey is different.  Sometimes the path has hurdles and challenges.  This initiative will enable students between the ages of 25 to 55 to complete their journey.  It also expands workforce development in high demand fields.  As a result, everyone benefits.”

To support the launch of SUNY Reconnect, SUNY has:

• Allocated $4 million to community colleges to support SUNY Reconnect programmatic implementation through advising, enrollment, outreach, award of credit for prior learning, and other student services, supports, and campus operations.
• Provided an additional $1 million to cover equipment, materials, supplies, and other one-time needs to increase student enrollment capacity in high-demand programs that are part of SUNY Reconnect.
• Announced $1.1 million in grant funding for the SUNY Adult Learner Leadership Initiative to help community colleges increase access and ensure degree completion for adult learners.

SUNY Reconnect will fund degrees in high-demand fields including:

• Advanced manufacturing
• Artificial Intelligence
• Cybersecurity
• Engineering
• Technology
• Nursing and allied health fields
• Green and renewable energy
• Pathways to teaching in shortage areas

In addition to SUNY Reconnect, the FY25-26 Enacted State Budget provides $8 million in increased operating aid to community colleges – the first back-to-back operating aid increases in decades for these institutions – and maintains the 100% community college funding floor, which protects community colleges from $75 million lost direct state tax support.  The budget also provides significant funding toward New York's longstanding Educational Opportunity Program, which has served more than 85,000 students, and increased support for ASAP|ACE, which will make these proven retention and completion programs permanent at SUNY and allow for a significant expansion.

Assemblymember Tommy John Schiavoni said, “As an educator for 30 years, I know firsthand how transformative access to higher education can be for individuals and entire communities.  Governor Hochul’s SUNY Reconnect initiative will open doors for thousands of adult learners across New York, giving them the opportunity to build careers in high-demand fields while strengthening our state’s workforce and economy.  I am proud to support this bold investment in New Yorkers’ futures.”

Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Edward Bonahue said, “Suffolk County Community College is dedicated to the value of lifelong learning, and SUNY Reconnect is a major step forward in helping us fulfill that mission.  With this support from the state, we are proud to welcome adult learners preparing for careers in the high-demand fields critical to growing Long Island’s workforce.”

New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person said, “From Niagara to Suffolk and every community in between, SUNY Reconnect is an historic step toward making higher education truly accessible.  By removing financial barriers, it gives thousands of adult learners the chance to return to school, build new careers in high-demand fields, and strengthen their families.  NYSUT is proud to stand with Gov. Hochul and Chancellor King to support a future where every New Yorker has the opportunity to thrive.”

New York State Association of Counties Executive Director Stephen Acquario said, “Community colleges are at the heart of local communities across New York State, offering accessible and affordable education while also serving as critical engines of workforce development.  By removing financial barriers for adults to return to college and pursue degrees in high-demand fields, this initiative will help employers fill job openings and enable more New Yorkers to build fulfilling careers right in their communities.  We commend Governor Hochul for her leadership in expanding educational access and creating meaningful opportunities for working-age adults across the state.”

New York Community College Association of Presidents and SUNY Orange President Dr. Kristine Young said, “Access and affordability have long been the hallmarks of New York’s community colleges.  Governor Hochul’s support of SUNY Reconnect brings degrees in high-demand fields into reach for adult learners by further removing costs as a barrier.  Students will gain access on our campuses to academic excellence and robust support systems, while being able to take advantage of the meaningful connections we’ve built with local and state employers in these critical sectors where skilled employees are needed.  My colleagues at each of our 30 SUNY community colleges are more than ready to welcome new and returning adult learners throughout the state and to help them achieve their academic, career and personal goals.”

About The State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities.  Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory.  In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs.  SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York.  Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty.  There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum.  To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit: www.suny.edu.