MCC Daily Tribune

Chancellor King Visits Tompkins Cortland Community College as Part of the SUNY Reconnect Tour

Governor Hochul’s SUNY Reconnect Provides Free Community College Tuition, Fees, Books, and Supplies for Eligible Adult Learners in High Demand Fields

Visit Highlights Tompkins Cortland Community College Sustainable Farming and Food System Program as Part of the SUNY Reconnect Program

Tompkins County, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. visited Tompkins Cortland Community College Wednesday as part of the SUNY Reconnect Tour. Chancellor King will be visiting SUNY community colleges throughout the state to promote New York’s free community college program for adult learners, which will begin in fall 2025. Under Governor Kathy Hochul’s SUNY Reconnect initiative, New York State will provide free tuition, fees, books, and supplies for adults ages 25-55 who don't already have a college degree and pursue an associate degree in a high-demand field.

During his visit, Chancellor King emphasized the Tompkins Cortland Community College’s sustainable farming and food system program, which is an eligible associate’s degree program under SUNY Reconnect.

To support adult learner success through SUNY Reconnect, Tompkins Cortland Community College will customize schedules for adults students, utilizing online and hybrid options for students that need to work while attending classes. Students also have access to dedicated advising and personal supports specifically for adult learners, including an on-campus childcare center and adult networking events.

“Community colleges like Tompkins Cortland provide life-changing upward mobility every day for New Yorkers,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “I am confident that with Governor Hochul’s free community college program for adult learners, even more New Yorkers will open new doors to academic and professional opportunities they’ve always dreamed of.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “By supporting the SUNY Reconnect program and empowering New Yorkers throughout the Finger Lakes Region and Central New York to apply for free community college at Tompkins Cortland, Governor Hochul and state leaders have made a forward-looking investment in the long-term success of this region and our entire state. SUNY schools throughout the state, including Tompkins Cortland Community College, are ready for the influx of students through SUNY Reconnect, and we encourage all eligible New Yorkers to consider how this initiative can help them and their families.”

President Amy Kremenek, President of Tompkins Cortland Community College, said, “Chancellor King’s visit to TC3 highlights the significance of this historic initiative that addresses financial barriers to higher education, and we are delighted to welcome him to our campus. We have received tremendous interest in the SUNY Reconnect program since its approval as part of the New York State budget, with adults who previously thought college was out of reach now registering for classes and working on degrees to enhance their career prospects and potential lifetime earnings. We greatly appreciate the efforts of Governor Hochul, Chancellor King, and the NYS Legislature for SUNY Reconnect and we’re excited for the many opportunities available to our students and the positive impact on families, our community, and our state.”

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, “Free community college for adult learners opens new doors for New Yorkers and ensures a skilled and knowledgeable workforce in industries we all rely on, including our farms, hospitals, and schools. I thank Governor Hochul for prioritizing workforce development initiatives through our SUNY programs that not only educate adult students but also help make the state an affordable place to live, work, and raise a family.”

NYSUT President Melinda Person said, “SUNY Reconnect is more than a program — it's a promise to adult learners across New York that it's never too late to return to school, reimagine your future, and access the careers that keep our communities moving forward. Chancellor King’s visit today shines a light on how programs like sustainable farming and food systems aren’t just academic pathways — they’re launching pads for economic resilience and stability. Together we are building a higher education system that’s public, affordable, and aligned with the real-world needs of our students and state.”

State Senator Lea Webb said, “Community colleges play a pivotal role in supporting community members' pathways to career success and economic advancement. As a member of the Senate Higher Education Committee and SUNY Alum, I couldn’t be more proud to support the SUNY Reconnect initiative. Free community college for adults is transformational. This program for Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) means more working adults will have the opportunity to earn a degree in high-demand fields like sustainable farming, right here in our backyard. SUNY Reconnect will open doors for families, strengthen our workforce, and help ensure that no one is left behind simply because they couldn’t afford tuition. This initiative is an investment in people, in local communities, and the future of New York State. Thank you to Chancellor King for supporting this program and visiting TC3 on his SUNY tour.”

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

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.

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.

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.

Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
07/17/2025