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SUNY Chancellor Continues SUNY Reconnect Tour with Visit to Clinton Community College
Governor Hochul's SUNY Reconnect Program Provides Free Community College Tuition, Fees, Books, and Supplies for Eligible Adult Learners in High-Demand Fields
Visit Highlights Clinton Community College's Nursing Program
Plattsburgh, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today visited Clinton Community College as part of the SUNY Reconnect Tour. Chancellor King has been visiting SUNY community colleges throughout the state to promote New York's free community college program for adult learners, which officially began at the start of Fall 2025 classes. Under Governor Kathy Hochul's SUNY Reconnect initiative, New York State is providing free tuition, fees, books, and supplies for adults ages 25-55 who don't already have a college degree and want to pursue an associate degree in a high-demand field.
"Community colleges like Clinton are economic powerhouses that support thousands of New Yorkers pursuing personal and professional milestones," said SUNY Chancellor King. "I am thrilled to join Acting President Knelly, faculty, staff, and students today and hear from adult-learners who've taken advantage of our free community college initiative and enrolled in Clinton's Nursing program."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "Investing in community colleges provides an exponential return for everyone from residents to employers to local taxpayers. We are proud to see Governor Hochul's SUNY Reconnect come to life and look forward to working with state legislators to continue this vital educational program that has already transformed thousands of lives."
During his visit, Chancellor King highlighted Clinton Community College's Nursing Program, which is eligible for SUNY Reconnect and attracts adult students who are Certified Nursing Assistants or Licensed Practical Nurses. SUNY Reconnect ensures that students receive enough financial aid to pursue their Registered Nurse degree. To learn more about SUNY Reconnect degree programs available at Clinton Community College and apply for the Spring 2026 semester, visit https://www.clinton.edu/tuition-and-aid/freeCC.aspx.
Governor Hochul's FY2026-27 Executive Budget expands SUNY Reconnect to include careers in logistics, air traffic control and transportation, and emergency management, as well as to make it easier for adult learners to return to college to pursue nursing if they already have a prior degree.
Clinton Community College Acting President Ken Knelly said, "Through the reach of Reconnect, more adults in our region are working toward advanced degrees in high-demand fields, such as nursing. Even students who are not eligible for the program have reached out and enrolled, seeing SUNY's affordability and programs as helpful in their career path."
New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "Free community college for adult learners provides New Yorkers with pathways to high-demand careers, like nursing and cyber security, and our communities with qualified and educated workers in those fields. I thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to workforce development initiatives that help make New York an affordable place to live and work."
New York State Higher Education Services Corporation Executive Vice President Doris Gonzalez said, "We're grateful to Governor Hochul for her continued leadership and unwavering commitment to expanding access to higher education across New York State. Through SUNY Reconnect, programs like nursing at Clinton Community College provide adult learners with a clear pathway back to the classroom and into high-demand, rewarding careers that create lasting opportunities, support our communities, and strengthen New York."
NYSUT President Melinda Person said, "SUNY Reconnect is opening doors for working adults who once thought college was out of reach — and at Clinton Community College, we see the impact firsthand. Adult learners are stepping into high-demand fields like nursing, strengthening our healthcare workforce and their own families at the same time. We're excited the state is building on this success and proposing to expand SUNY and CUNY Reconnect so even more New Yorkers can access an affordable path to opportunity."
State Senator Daniel Stec said, "The co-location of Clinton Community College and SUNY Plattsburgh is an excellent pairing. Through SUNY Reconnect, adult learners are gaining access to essential workforce skills, and the two universities are able to help create new opportunities within their home community. I'm glad Chancellor King was able to witness it firsthand."
State Assemblymember Michael Cashman said, "SUNY is one of our state's greatest public assets, and its impact is felt most strongly in North Country communities. Programs like SUNY Reconnect showcase the power of SUNY to meet real workforce needs while opening doors for adult learners to advance their careers and lives. The innovative collaboration and co-location of Clinton Community College with SUNY Plattsburgh is a model for how our public institutions can work together to strengthen students' experiences, communities, and the North Country economy."
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. Clinton Community College has used their portion for the hiring of an advisor, who will specialize in working with adult and Reconnect students, and bringing on a part-time employee to help adult students earn credit for life experience and receive tutoring services free of charge.
- Provided an additional $1 million to cover equipment, materials, supplies, and other one-time needs to increase student enrollment, through which Clinton is using their portion to purchase a portable welding simulator and work towards adding a degree in that area to help meet the needs of the local industry.
- Announced $1.1 million in grant funding for the SUNY Adult Learner Leadership Initiativeto help community colleges increase access and ensure degree completion for adult learners. The campus received a $48,000 grant to participate in the Adult Learner Leadership initiative and has developed an action plan to implement and expand evidence-based strategies to serve adult learners. The funds were used to launch a "Never Too Late" public service announcement campaign, expand the use of Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), and increase availability of academic and nonacademic support on weekends and evenings.
SUNY Reconnect funds 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
Since the May 2025 launch of Governor Kathy Hochul’s SUNY Reconnect program for adult learners in New York State, Chancellor King visited SUNY community colleges to promote the program as part of the SUNY Reconnect tour. The tour, which kicked off in June 2025 at Dutchess Community College, has included visits to Tompkins Cortland Community College, SUNY Schenectady, Jefferson Community College, Suffolk County Community College, SUNY Niagara, SUNY Erie Community College, Jamestown Community College, Monroe Community College, SUNY Broome, SUNY Adirondack, Rockland Community College, Ulster Community College, Westchester Community College, and Columbia-Greene Community College.
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, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its 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 $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, 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 suny.edu.