In November of 2024, CUF published It’s Time to Launch SUNY Reconnect, urging Governor Hochul and the State Legislature to replicate the successful CUNY Reconnect program statewide and invest in both CUNY and SUNY Reconnect. In July, Governor Hochul announced that the state would officially launch SUNY Reconnect—along with new state funding for CUNY Reconnect—to cover tuition, fees, books, and supplies for working-age community college students pursuing associate’s degrees in high-demand fields.

It’s Time to Launch SUNY Reconnect revealed that 1.5 million working age adults in New York State have already earned some college credits but have not completed a degree—including over 900,000 residents outside of New York City.

As the governor’s press release notes: “SUNY Reconnect, launching in fall 2025, will help empower New Yorkers and serve as a powerful engine of upward mobility for hard-working adults . . . Governor Hochul’s program will significantly expand the reach and impact of CUNY Reconnect, which launched in 2022.”

CUNY Reconnect was first proposed in a CUF report and has since re-enrolled over 47,000 New Yorkers in college.