SUNY Chancellor King Kicks Off Rochester Educational Opportunity Center’s FAFSA Days
October 23, 2026
Rochester EOC to Host Students and Their Families on October 27 and 30 for Individualized Assistance
Rochester, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today kicked off the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center’s (REOC) FAFSA Days to help students and their families fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, which is necessary to realize all eligible financial aid for college. Chancellor King highlighted the REOC’s upcoming sessions on October 27 and 30, which will offer individualized assistance.
FAFSA Days coincide with SUNY’s Free Application Weeks, which are running this year from October 19 to November 2. During the free application period, prospective students receive fee waivers to up to five SUNY campuses.
"There’s a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and SUNY is committed to increasing access to a high-quality, affordable education that helps students achieve their dreams," said SUNY Chancellor King. "Filling out the FAFSA is a great way for students and families to have more doors to high-quality higher educational opportunities open, and SUNY is proud to promote FAFSA completion in Rochester and throughout New York State."
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "SUNY is proud to offer prospective students and their families the resources they need to access an outstanding higher education and pursue academic excellence. Financial aid is a crucial part of student success, and we commend the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center's efforts to ensure students understand financial aid and receive the support they need to thrive."
Rochester EOC Dean Roosevelt Mareus said, "Through our strong partnership with Rochester City Schools, the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center supports both our students and area high school students as they pursue life-changing educational opportunities. We look forward to welcoming all interested families next week at our FAFSA events. It is my sincere hope that they feel engaged and empowered to fill out the FAFSA and access the vital financial aid that will help them achieve their dreams.
According to a report by the National College Attainment Network, New York State's high school class of 2024 students left almost $250 million on the table by not completing the FAFSA. Studies show that 90 percent of high school seniors who complete the form go to college directly after graduation, compared to just 55 percent of seniors who don't fill out the aid application. The 2027-2028 FAFSA is now open. Students and families should visit SUNY's website here to get started on their FAFSA application.
Chancellor King recently held an event at SUNY Broome Community College to promote FAFSA completion and to highlight the importance of filling out the form. Additionally, SUNY has multiple upcoming virtual events in English and Spanish for students and their families to navigate the FAFSA completion process.
Upcoming events online across SUNY include:
- Tuesday, October 27 at 6:30 p.m. (in Spanish)
- Thursday, October 29 at 6:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, November 17 at 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday, December 17 at 6:30 p.m.
To learn more about these workshops, or to register to attend one, visit: https://engage.suny.edu/portal/fafsa_workshops.
State Senator Jeremy Cooney said, "New York's FAFSA is about ensuring everyone who wants to pursue higher education has the opportunity to, and that's exactly what Rochester Educational Opportunity Center's FAFSA Days are about. During SUNY's free application period, I encourage students and families to take advantage of the individualized assistance and potentially thousands of dollars in financial aid this event can help them access."
State Assemblymember Harry B. Bronson said, "Thank you, Chancellor King and the SUNY Board of Trustees, for helping Rochester students and families complete the FAFSA form – a critical first step to putting higher education within reach in our community. New York’s incredible SUNY system has broadened educational access and opportunity for so many students, including myself, and I am proud to partner with Chancellor King and REOC to promote the Free FAFSA week and SUNY Free application week. This effort helps to reduce barriers for Rochester’s high school seniors so they can achieve their dreams of earning a degree – and do so more affordably."
State Assemblymember Demond Meeks said, "Higher education remains one of the most reliable pathways to long-term economic stability and success. Far too often, complex financial barriers stand in the way of our students' potential. By bringing FAFSA completion resources directly into our community through the Rochester Educational Opportunity Center, Chancellor King and SUNY are ensuring our local families don't leave vital aid on the table. I strongly encourage every student and parent to take advantage of these free workshops and unlock much-needed financial support."
State Assemblymember Sarah Clark said, "A completed FAFSA can open doors to affordable college opportunities that many students may not have thought were possible. Helping families understand the financial aid available ensures students will have a better chance to pursue their goals and build a future here in New York. Thank you to Chancellor King, the SUNY Board of Trustees, the REOC for supporting students and families navigate what can be a complicated process to better pursue a more affordable higher education pathway."
Approximately 75 percent of all full-time SUNY undergraduate students receive financial aid, and 54 percent of New York State resident full-time SUNY undergraduates attend tuition-free thanks to federal, state, and institutional financial aid, including the FAFSA, New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), and Excelsior Scholarship. Additionally, Governor Hochul successfully championed legislation requiring universal FAFSA completion beginning in the 2024-25 academic year for graduating high school seniors in an effort to boost completion rates.
The 2025-26 Enacted State Budget also included the doubling of New York State's Tuition Assistance Program's (TAP) minimum award from $500 to $1,000, increased the maximum income threshold from $80,000 to $125,000 for dependent students, and increased the independent student maximum income threshold from $10,000 to $30,000.
Governor Hochul announced New York State's 2026 College Application Initiative to help high school seniors navigate the college application process and take the next step toward higher education. Students can apply for free to SUNY from October 19 through November 2 through the initiative. Prospective students interested in applying to a SUNY institution can do so here: https://www.suny.edu/attend/apply-to-suny/.
SUNY has taken numerous steps to assist students and their families in applying for financial aid to make college more affordable, including:
- Announcing the SUNY College Access Ambassadors Program to leverage the expertise of high school counselors to assist incoming students in completing financial aid applications;
- Hosting virtual and in-person FAFSA completion workshops, held in both English and Spanish, to help families complete the FAFSA;
- Working with State partners to develop and promote online resources, including print-ready resources for counselors and students to help guide them through the financial aid process and;
- Continued engagement of the SUNY FAFSA Completion Corps, an AmeriCorps funded program through which current SUNY students support prospective students and their families with FAFSA completion, that began in October 2023 with 50 students and has grown to 70 students at 14 SUNY campuses.
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 annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Holly Liapis
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