Statement from Chancellor King and SUNY Board of Trustees on First-Generation College Day
November 8, 2026
"We are proud to join Governor Kathy Hochul to celebrate First-Generation College Day, which commemorates the historic signing of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and reaffirms SUNY's mission to provide an education 'of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population.' Throughout New York State, incredible first-generation college students bring new perspectives to academic environments and embody the transformational power of higher education.
"The State University of New York has a longstanding history of increasing access to higher education and supporting student success and academic excellence through initiatives like the Educational Opportunity Program, ASAP|ACE, and SUNY Reconnect. As we celebrate Governor Hochul's proclamation of November 8 as First-Generation College Day, we also recognize the campus presidents, faculty, and staff who were first-generation college students themselves and continue to expand opportunities for others to follow in their footsteps.
"Today and every day, we honor the extraordinary contributions of first-generation students and remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting them as they pursue life-changing educational opportunities and upward mobility."
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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