Chancellor King Visits SUNY Nassau Community College as Part of the SUNY Reconnect Tour

June 29, 2026

Governor Hochul's SUNY Reconnect Provides Free Community College Tuition, Fees, Books, and Supplies for Eligible Adult Learners in High-Demand Fields

Visit Highlights SUNY Nassau Community College's Nursing and Health Programs

Garden City, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today visited SUNY Nassau 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. 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 to pursue an associate degree in a high-demand field.

During his visit, Chancellor King emphasized Nassau Community College's nursing and health programs, which are eligible for SUNY Reconnect. Thanks to Governor Hochul's recently enacted State budget, as part of the State's commitment to addressing health care workforce shortages, adult learners can now participate in SUNY Reconnect to pursue nursing even if they have a prior degree in another field. To learn more about the SUNY Reconnect degree programs available at Nassau Community College visit https://www.ncc.edu/admissions/suny-reconnect.shtml.

During SUNY Reconnects first year, nursing and other health programs represented the most sought-after degrees among participating adult learners. Early data from SUNY Reconnect indicate that students in the program had higher fall-to-spring retention rates than their adult learner peers who were not in SUNY Reconnect.

"SUNY Reconnect allows us to create life-changing opportunities for adult learners and their families," said SUNY Chancellor King. "With this initiative, we remove barriers to higher education and reinforce the fact that it is never too late to follow your dreams. I am deeply appreciative for the leadership of Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for making transformational opportunities like this one possible."

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "With the steadfast leadership and support of Governor Hochul, SUNY is positioned to offer opportunities that simultaneously create upward mobility for adult learners and fulfill New York State's most pressing workforce needs. The state's investment in initiatives that help advance careers in nursing and health care fields will support SUNY's efforts to achieve the Governor's goal of expanding this vital workforce and supporting New Yorkers throughout our state."

Nassau Community College Chief Administrative Officer Maria Conzatti said, "Nassau Community College is proud to see the continued investment and confidence from SUNY and our partners in State government. We will continue to support our community and region by offering dynamic programming and providing students of all ages with an affordable option for excellent academic opportunities."

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "SUNY Reconnect ensures New York has a skilled, knowledgeable, and educated workforce ready for the jobs of today and tomorrow. I thank Governor Hochul and the SUNY Board of Trustees for providing an affordable pathway for eligible New Yorkers to enter high-demand fields, including teaching, nursing, and technology, that provide well-paying careers and serve our state's communities."

New York State Higher Education Services Corporation Acting President Doris B. González said, "Governor Hochul created SUNY Reconnect so that adult learners across New York can return to college and earn a degree without worrying about cost. SUNY community colleges are a wonderful place for adults ready to take that next step, offering the support and resources they need to succeed. I thank Chancellor King and the SUNY Board of Trustees for championing this program throughout the SUNY Reconnect tour and making sure New Yorkers everywhere know the door to opportunity is open."

New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person said, "SUNY Reconnect reflects a simple but powerful belief: it's never too late to pursue an education, build new skills, and create new opportunities. Across New York, adult learners are returning to the classroom and preparing for careers that are essential to our state's future. We're particularly excited that this year's enacted budget expanded SUNY Reconnect and CUNY Reconnect so that even more New Yorkers can take advantage of free community college and the support that helps students — and our state — to succeed."

SUNY Reconnect funds degrees in high-demand fields including:

Advanced Manufacturing
Air Traffic Control and Aviation Management* (newly added for 2026-27 Academic Year)
Artificial Intelligence
Cybersecurity
Engineering
Emergency Management* (newly added for 2026-27 Academic Year)
Supply Chain/Logistics* (newly added for 2026-27 Academic Year)
Technology
Nursing and Allied Health Fields
Green and Renewable Energy
Pathways to Teaching in Shortage Areas

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. Nassau Community College received $220,000 which has been allocated to hire a full time advisor to assist Reconnect student onboarding, scheduling, and retention efforts; conduct outreach to the local community through targeted advertising of available programming; and provide academic support outside of the classroom for Reconnect students including tutoring, scheduling, and other needs to keep them on the path to success.
Provided an additional $1 million to cover equipment, materials, supplies, and other one-time needs to increase student enrollment capacity in high-demand programs that are part of SUNY Reconnect. Nassau Community College will allocate its $35,000 to expand capacity in nursing and respiratory care programs through purchasing advanced simulation and clinical equipment. These tools will allow for high-fidelity simulation experience that can offset a portion of in-person clinical hours in alignment with current hospital technologies.

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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Chancellor King Visits SUNY Nassau Community College as Part of the SUNY Reconnect Tour

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