For Immediate Release
January 17, 2025

Suffolk County Community College Applauds Governor Hochul for Critical Support for Student Success in 2025 State of the State Agenda

Governor’s Support for SUNY ASAP|ACE Programs Will Empower Students with Financial, Academic and Other Support to Boost Graduation Rates, Close Opportunity Gaps

Dr. Edward Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College, today applauded Governor Kathy Hochul for pledging in her 2025 State of the State agenda to deliver ongoing state funding to sustain and expand the proven Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) and Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) programs, transformative models that have been widely demonstrated to increase student completion rates and narrow opportunity gaps, including at Suffolk County Community College.

 “Governor Hochul’s commitment to continuing the funding and expansion of ASAP and ACE will ensure that thousands of students at Suffolk County Community College and across SUNY have access to the support and resources they need to succeed. These programs provide the critical financial and academic assistance that helps students stay on track to graduation,” said Dr. Edward Bonahue, President of Suffolk County Community College.

ASAP (for students pursuing an associate degree) and ACE (for students in Bachelor’s degree program) expanded to the SUNY system in Spring 2024 through the SUNY Transformation Fund. As of fall 2024, more than 4,200 students now participate in ASAP|ACE across 25 SUNY campuses, including 160 number of students at Suffolk County Community College.

Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State agenda will make it possible to sustain ASAP|ACE and expand it statewide to reach 10,000 SUNY students.

Since launching ASAP on campus, Suffolk County Community College students have felt immediate tangible benefits, with positive impacts on academic momentum, including higher credit-completion and retention rates and high levels of student engagement.

“SUNY is committed to success for every student, and ASAP|ACE programs are the nation’s leading, evidence-based model for helping students stay on track to graduation,” SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said. “We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her commitment to ASAP/ACE in the 2025 State of the State agenda and look forward to working with the governor and our champions in the legislature to continue to scale this proven investment in student success.”

ASAP|ACE programs provide wraparound support to ensure student academic success, retention, and on-time graduation. An array of resources and supports — including academic assistance, personalized advisement, career development activities, and funding to cover textbooks, groceries, transportation, and other costs of attendance — help Pell-eligible students overcome barriers that can prevent them from achieving their goals and obtaining a degree.

Across SUNY, ASAP students’ credit completion rates for the spring 2024 semester were 20% higher than similar non-participants, and ACE students saw 9% higher credit completion rates compared to similar non-ACE students. ASAP|ACE-student retention rates from spring to fall 2024 also outpaced those of non-participants.

ASAP program student Ashley Virgile, a first-semester student at Suffolk’s Michael J. Grant Campus majoring in General Studies, was born in Haiti and came to the United States in 2015 when he was nine. “From the moment school started, the ASAP program has been a tremendous support system for me. My advisor, Sonya Lorraine, in particular, has been instrumental to my success. She went above and beyond to help me navigate different programs and find the best fit for my goals. I am incredibly grateful for the ASAP program. This program has made a significant difference in my college experience,” he said.                      
Vanessa Fernandez, also a first-semester student at the Michael J. Grant Campus majoring in General Studies and originally from El Salvador, said, “A major benefit of the program for me, was being able to enroll my two-year-old son in campus childcare, thanks to financial support from the ASAP program and the Brightway Education Foundation. If it wasn’t for the ASAP program, I wouldn’t have known where to look for help. The ASAP program has helped me feel heard and seen both as student-parent and as an individual.”

For more information on ASAP and ACE programs statewide, visit www.suny.edu/asap-ace.

About Suffolk County Community College

Suffolk County Community College is the largest, most comprehensive community college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, enrolling more than 21,000 students in over 100 degree and certificate programs. With over 145,000 alumni, Suffolk County Community College is dedicated to meeting the demands of regional employers. The college has built an extensive track record of successfully training and educating its students through pathways from high school, to college, and into careers.