SUNY Chancellor King Continues SUNY Reconnect Tour with Visit to Corning Community College

June 9, 2026

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 Corning Community College's Mechatronics Program

Corning, NY — State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today visited Corning 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 high-demand field.

"Across the state, SUNY's community colleges reinforce our commitment to student success and upward mobility," said SUNY Chancellor King. "Governor Hochul's SUNY Reconnect initiative, championed by our SUNY Board of Trustees, ensures that adult learners receive the support they need to reach their full potential. I applaud Corning Community College's continuous efforts to support adult learners as they begin new journeys."

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "Governor Hochul's SUNY Reconnect program is a path to economic opportunity that helps adult learners and New York State thrive. SUNY campuses, like Corning Community College, are engines of student success and upward mobility. We are incredibly proud of their continued commitment to helping our students and our state flourish."

Corning Community College President Terence Finley said, "SUNY Reconnect has provided adult students in the Southern Tier with an incredible opportunity to change the trajectory of their lives through access to higher education and the additional support required to meet their unique needs. It has solidified the importance of collaboration within our region, especially with Corning Incorporated and the United Steel Workers Local 1000, both of whom worked with us hand-in-hand to create flexible, accessible, and quality education for their swing-shift workers. Through SUNY Reconnect, thanks to the support of the SUNY Board of Trustees, Corning Community College is paving the way for the next wave of skilled workers and leaders in our region and beyond."

During his visit, Chancellor King highlighted Corning Community College's Mechatronics program, which is eligible for SUNY Reconnect. Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary field of engineering that integrates mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and control systems. SUNY Reconnect ensures that students receive enough financial aid and support services, including a single point of contact, extended hours, and prep courses, to complete their associate degree. To learn more about SUNY Reconnect degree programs available at Corning Community College, visit https://www.corning-cc.edu/suny-reconnect/.

Corning Community College collaborated with Corning Inc. and USW Local 1000 to launch the SUNY Reconnect initiative in the summer of 2025 and build a part-time Mechatronics AAS program. Graduates of this program are in high demand for advanced manufacturing and Research and Development roles at Corning Inc.

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "The SUNY Reconnect program addresses the needs of New York’s workforce by giving adult learners access to the education required to enter good-paying careers at little to no cost. I encourage eligible adults to take advantage of this opportunity, and I thank Governor Hochul and the SUNY Board of Trustees for their continued support of workforce development initiatives."

New York State Higher Education Corporation Acting President Doris B. González said, "Governor Hochul's Reconnect program is opening real doors for adult learners across New York, covering tuition, fees, books, and supplies, so that cost is never the barrier. The Board of Trustees' and Chancellor King's commitment to bringing this message directly to campuses is making a tangible difference in expanding awareness, and Corning's mechatronics programs demonstrates what SUNY Reconnect looks like in action: skilled adult learners gaining credentials that lead to careers in high-demand fields."

New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person said, "Corning Community College's mechatronics program shows exactly what SUNY Reconnect is designed to do: connect adult learners with the skills, credentials, and opportunities that lead to good-paying careers in high-demand industries. Whether someone is returning to school after years in the workforce or pursuing a new path for themselves and their family, programs like this open doors to economic mobility and help strengthen New York's workforce. NYSUT was proud to support the expansion of SUNY Reconnect and CUNY Reconnect in this year's state budget, ensuring even more New Yorkers can access free community college and the life-changing opportunities that come with it."

State Senator Tom O'Mara said, "We appreciate and welcome SUNY's commitment, through the Reconnect Program, to the advancement and success of the exciting partnership between Corning Community College, Corning Incorporated, and USW Local 1000 to build the Mechatronics Program. This program, championed by the SUNY Board of Trustees, promises to attract and train a high-quality workforce that's in high demand for the future in this burgeoning sector of advanced manufacturing, and research and development."

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. Corning Community College has used its allocation of $100,000 to hire three part-time staff members dedicated to supporting adult learners, including a success coach, a technical assistant for financial aid, and a technical assistant for Credit for Prior Learning support. Corning is also using funds to provide tutoring services to SUNY Reconnect students and offset student fees for credit for prior learning assessment and awards.
Provided an additional $1 million to cover equipment, materials, supplies, and other one-time needs to increase student enrollment. Corning Community College is using its $35,000 to implement a HyFlex instructional model to expand access to pre-nursing coursework for adult learners through classroom and equipment upgrades which will support flexible, multi-modal learning environments.
Announced $1.1 million in grant funding for the SUNY Adult Learner Leadership Initiative to help community colleges ensure degree completion for adult learners. Corning Community College received a $50,000 grant to participate in the Adult Learner Leadership Initiative and developed an action plan that will: develop digital and direct marketing campaigns to be systematically communicated with workforce training participants and partners; maximize online asynchronous and hyflex instruction course schedules to accommodate more evening and weekend offerings for adult learner flexibility; provide individualized student education plans with course sequencing and scheduling for program completion; expand academic and co-requisite support services for at-risk adult learners; expand student utilization of credit for prior learning; and create a community among adult learners on campus.

SUNY Reconnect and CUNY 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

In addition to Governor Hochul's SUNY Reconnect program opportunity expansions included in FY2026-27 Executive Budget, starting in Fall 2026, eligible adult learners will be able to return to college to pursue nursing even if they already have a prior degree. This addition is part of Governor Hochul's commitment to expanse the New York State healthcare workforce.

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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SUNY Chancellor King Continues SUNY Reconnect Tour with Visit to Corning Community College

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