Chancellor King and SUNY Board of Trustees Statement on Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address

January 14, 2025

"Governor Kathy Hochul continues to show her deep commitment to public higher education, delivering a clear vision for SUNY to provide an excellent, affordable college education and serve as an engine of upward mobility for all New Yorkers.  

"Higher education can be the pathway to economic opportunity, and Governor Hochul has proposed a bold initiative to provide a free community college education to adults ages 25-55 without a college degree who want to pursue a high-demand career in fields like advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, IT, AI, health care, and green jobs. Governor Hochul's community college agenda will literally transform lives for hard-working New Yorkers. 

"We are thrilled that Governor Hochul has committed to student success by supporting ASAP and ACE—model programs that increase student completion rates and narrow opportunity gaps. In its first year at SUNY, 25 campuses implemented ASAP and ACE to support 4,270 students, and participating campuses are already seeing higher retention and credit attainment rates. The Governor's proposal will sustain and expand funding for ASAP and ACE to grow these proven programs to serve 10,000 students each year. 

"Governor Hochul has charged SUNY with doubling research expenditures, and the State of the State proposal to provide a New York State Innovation Fund for capital investments in cutting-edge laboratory facilities and research activities will help attract additional outstanding faculty and catalyze groundbreaking research. 

"Finally, Governor Hochul's College-in-High-School Opportunity Fund will provide meaningful support to expand career-connected pathways, like the innovative Smart Scholars and P-TECH programs, that give high school students the opportunity to graduate with college credits and readiness to complete their degree.  

"SUNY is on the move, and Governor Hochul's 2025 State of the State agenda is continuing to build SUNY's momentum."  

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 $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, 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.


Share this:

       

 
Contact:
Holly Liapis
518-320-1311
Email the Office of Communications