Helping More Students Earn Their Degree

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the expansion of SUNY ASAP|ACE, the nation’s leading evidence-based retention and completion model, from 4,270 students at 25 SUNY campuses in Fall 2024 to 7,050 students at 34 SUNY campuses in Fall 2025. Nine SUNY campuses will join ASAP|ACE this school year, and 14 current partner campuses will add spots to serve more students. This expansion is made possible using $12 million in allocated funding from the FY26 State Budget that places SUNY ASAP|ACE on the path to reach 10,000 students by Fall 2026.

“New York State is committed to helping our students reach their highest potential, and ASAP|ACE is a proven program to ensure students complete their degree on the path to a great job,” Governor Hochul said. “ASAP|ACE has already assisted thousands of New Yorkers in their higher education journey, and I am proud that more students will benefit from its expansion.”

Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) targets associate students and Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) targets baccalaureate students, both providing financial resources and wraparound supports to remove barriers to full-time study, help students gain and maintain academic momentum, and create a connected community among students, all in service of increasing timely degree completion.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King said, “SUNY is committed to the success of every student, and ASAP|ACE is a proven, evidence-based strategy to improve retention and completion. I am thrilled that through Governor Hochul’s leadership and the support of the legislature, SUNY is expanding this vital program to even more students and campuses across the SUNY system.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “The implementation of ASAP|ACE has been a success in transforming completion rates for both associate and bachelor's degrees, and we thank Governor Hochul for her strong support of this initiative. Through this program, the SUNY system has been able to provide additional financial assistance, advising, and wraparound support to help students graduate on-time. We look forward to working with Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to continue expanding ASAP|ACE.”

ASAP will expand to four more community colleges: Dutchess, Monroe, Onondaga, and Tompkins Cortland. ASAP is already in place at the following community colleges: Cayuga, Clinton, Erie, Finger Lakes, Herkimer, Hudson Valley, Jefferson, Nassau, Orange, Rockland, Schenectady, Suffolk, and Westchester.

ACE will expand to five State-operated campuses: University at Albany, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Delhi, SUNY Old Westbury, and SUNY Oneonta. ACE is currently available at the following state-operated campuses: University at Buffalo, Buffalo State, Canton, Farmingdale, Fredonia, Morrisville, New Paltz, Oswego, Plattsburgh, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Potsdam, and Purchase College.

For a list and map of all current and new ASAP|ACE partner campuses, go to the SUNY website on the ASAP|ACE page.

Preliminary outcomes data across current ASAP|ACE partner campuses demonstrate participating students have higher credit completion and persistence rates than similar non-ASAP|ACE students. ASAP students pursuing associate degrees have a 20 percent higher credit completion rate than non-ASAP students (73 percent versus 61 percent). ASAP students also have a higher spring-fall persistence rate: 80 percent for ASAP versus 72 percent for non-ASAP students. Additionally, ACE students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at a SUNY State operated campuses have a nine percent higher credit completion rate than similar non-ACE students (89 percent versus 82 percent). ACE students also have higher spring-fall persistence rates: 88 percent for ACE versus 85 percent for non-ACE students.

SUNY’s first campus to replicate the completion model is Westchester Community College, and results from independent research show significant increases from enrollment to completion. Three years since SUNY WCC launched Viking Resources for Obtaining Associate Degrees and Success (Viking ROADS), MDRC’s research showed participants were 11.8 percentage points more likely to complete a degree than students in the control group (35.5 percent versus 23.7 percent). These results are even more impressive given that the study was conducted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. These graduation improvements are in line with results from earlier evaluations of CUNY ASAP (18 percentage point impact) and the replication of ASAP in Ohio (15 percentage points). Taken together, these effects on college completion are the largest of any postsecondary program that has been evaluated by MDRC.

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, “I'm pleased to see the ASAP and ACE programs expanded to more schools throughout the SUNY system. Data shows that these programs work. ASAP and ACE ensure that students most in need do not get left behind . The success of these programs are key to improving retention and completion rates at our State universities.”

State Senator Rachel May said, “Many New Yorkers struggle to achieve their educational goals due to a variety of barriers. Expanding the ASAP/ACE Retention and Completion Program will provide more students with the financial resources and necessary tools they need to pursue fulfilling careers. Thank you to Governor Hochul for expanding this important program and for her commitment to supporting all students in New York.”

State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, “The SUNY ASAP|ACE model is a proven method to set our students up for success and ensure more New Yorkers are earning their degree. With Monroe Community College already serving as a key driver of workforce development and higher education for our students, I’m thrilled to see them included in the ASAP program. I want to thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to making higher education more attainable for our students and for her support of MCC and campuses across the state.”

State Senator Lea Webb said, “I’m proud to see Tompkins Cortland Community College, included in the expansion of the SUNY ASAP program. This investment reflects our shared commitment to breaking down barriers to higher education and ensuring that all students have the support they need to complete their degrees and succeed. With proven outcomes and a student-centered approach, ASAP is a smart, equity-driven model that will benefit countless families across Senate District 52 and New York State.”

Assemblymember Charles Lavine said, “I am thrilled to learn that the ACE program is expanding to SUNY Old Westbury. The personal assistance this program provides, including academic, financial, and personal support, has been invaluable in helping students achieve more at the college level than they would have without it.”

Assemblymember Pamela Hunter said, “Expanding the ASAP program to Onondaga Community College is a meaningful step forward in supporting student success right here in Central New York. These programs have a proven track record of improving retention and completion rates, especially for students who face financial or personal barriers to higher education. I’m proud to support efforts like this that help more students earn their degrees and build brighter futures.”

Assemblymember Dr. Anna R. Kelles said, “SUNY ASAP and ACE are transforming educational outcomes for students who’ve long been underserved, not by potential, but by policy. With targeted support for transportation, textbooks, and advising, these programs remove the barriers that too often end college careers before they begin or prevent successful completion for those who start the educational journey. Backed by rigorous data and a statewide commitment, this $12 million expansion will help thousands more students, especially those from low-income and rural communities, stay enrolled, graduate on time, and step into the workforce with a degree in hand. This is what equity in action looks like and, at a time when higher education is under attack, I’m proud that NY is standing up and investing in expanding expertise in our workforce.”

Assemblymember Gabriella A. Romero said, “I am thrilled to see the expansion of the SUNY ACE program to the University at Albany, beginning in Fall 2025. ACE provides crucial financial and academic support, while promoting a sense of community for students toward timely degree completion. This investment reflects a strong commitment to opportunity, equity, and student success across higher education. I’m excited about the opportunities this initiative opens for our students and community here in the 109th District, and the benefits this will have on the Capital Region.”

MDRC President Virginia Knox said, “The ASAP/ACE model has an unparalleled record of success in study after study, including at SUNY Westchester Community College. It is heartening to see this remarkable, evidence-backed program being expanded by the state of New York to benefit thousands of students across the State University of New York system.”

Complete College America President Yolanda Watson Spiva said, “The expansion of SUNY's ASAP|ACE program is the kind of bold, evidence-based action needed nationwide to bolster college completion rates. With results showing 20 percent higher credit completion rates for ASAP students and degree completion improvements of nearly 12 percentage points, SUNY is showing that comprehensive wraparound services work. As a member of the Complete College America Alliance, SUNY continues to lead by example, investing in proven strategies that help all students succeed.”

Lumina Foundation Strategy Director Jasmine Haywood said, “Transformational change in higher education happens when systems commit to scaling what works — and SUNY’s continued investment in ASAP|ACE is a model of that commitment. By removing barriers to completion and delivering proven support at scale, SUNY is setting a national example for ensuring more students earn credentials that lead to better lives. Lumina is proud to support efforts that make the promise of higher education real for all.”

The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) Senior Director for Policy and Advocacy – NY Kirsten E. Keefe said, “Thanks to Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the dedicated funding in this year's budget for ASAP-ACE means expanding these vital programs to nine additional SUNY campuses, for a total of 34 this year. We commend Chancellor John King for his vision in bringing these vital programs to SUNY and expanding them. ACE and ASAP are recognized nationally for their proven ability to help students to succeed in and complete college by providing comprehensive support to students, including advising, counseling, and additional financial assistance.”

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.