Chancellor King Visits SUNY Broome as Part of the SUNY Reconnect Tour

September 9, 2025

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 Broome's Nursing Program

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

During his visit, Chancellor King highlighted SUNY Broome's nursing program, which is eligible for the SUNY Reconnect offering. The nursing program, including the Weekend-Evening A.A.S. program, prepares students for entry into the modern healthcare workforce, and graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Chancellor King also highlighted SUNY Broome's growing selection of online and flexible program options, visited SUNY Broome's on-campus childcare facility, the B.C. Center, as well as SUNY Broome's food pantry and clothing closet, the Hornet Hope Center, which supports students with essentials such as food, clothing, and toiletries.

"Community colleges like SUNY Broome are engines of upward mobility for thousands of New Yorkers," said SUNY Chancellor King. "Through Governor Hochul's SUNY Reconnect program, adult New Yorkers are being empowered to unleash their full potential by pursuing degrees in high-demand job fields with free tuition, fees, books, and supplies. I applaud all of our incoming students for taking this great step forward in their academic and professional lives."

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "As community colleges throughout New York State welcome the first SUNY Reconnect students, we thank Governor Hochul and state leaders for making this bold program possible. SUNY community colleges help move our entire state forward, and provide essential academic, economic, and cultural opportunities for thousands of students from all walks of life. We are proud to help ensure SUNY community colleges are equipped to provide the world-class education that New Yorkers deserve, and we are grateful to have strong supporters like Governor Hochul and state leaders in this effort."

SUNY Broome President Dr. Tony D. Hawkins said, "Since the launch of SUNY Reconnect in May, it's been all hands-on deck in each office, as we work hard to welcome and support our growing numbers of adult learners. I'm truly proud of how we've come together as colleagues and risen to the challenge. As an institution, we are taking on our new semester with a 'student-first' mindset, striving to ‘be our best at Broome' for each and every student we've been called to serve. We are energized and excited to have even more students to serve, and our faculty and staff are focused on ensuring each and every learner has the services and support they need to become their best at Broome."

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said, "Free community college for adult learners opens new doors for New Yorkers and ensures skilled and knowledgeable workers in sectors that communities statewide rely on, including education, healthcare, and technology. I thank Governor Hochul for advancing workforce development initiatives through programs that not only set adult students up for success but also help make the state an affordable place to live, work, and raise a family."

President of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation, Dr. Guillermo Linares, said, "Governor Hochul's SUNY Reconnect program is opening doors for adult learners to pursue careers in high-demand fields, including nursing and healthcare, where their skills are urgently needed. SUNY Broome's nursing program is a shining example of how this initiative is helping to build a stronger, more resilient workforce while making higher education more accessible and affordable. HESC is proud to support this program, which ensures adult learners have the opportunity to advance their education, achieve their career goals, and make meaningful contributions to their communities."

NYSUT President Melinda Person said, "SUNY Reconnect is about second chances. Programs like this open the doors of higher education to more working adults, helping them gain the skills and credentials they need to build stronger careers, stronger families, and stronger communities. Here at SUNY Broome, we see firsthand how this investment in opportunity changes lives—and keeps talent right here in New York."

State Senator Lea Webb (SUNY Broome ‘01) said, "I'm grateful to Chancellor King and my state legislative colleagues for visiting SUNY Broome as part of the SUNY Reconnect Tour and for shining a spotlight on the college's exceptional nursing program. Programs like this are vital for training the next generation of healthcare professionals, addressing workforce shortages, and supporting economic advancement for residents across New York State. SUNY Reconnect ensures that adult learners in our community can return to school without the financial burden, while SUNY Broome provides the skills and support they need to succeed."

State Assembly Committee on Higher Education Chair Alicia Hyndman said, "SUNY Reconnect is a transformative initiative that directly addresses the critical workforce needs of our state. By funding degrees in high-demand fields such as Advanced Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Engineering, Technology, Nursing and Allied Health, Green and Renewable Energy, and Pathways to Teaching in Shortage Areas, we are empowering New Yorkers with the skills necessary for success in today's economy. The significant investments, including $4 million for community colleges to support advising and enrollment, an additional $1 million for equipment to expand program capacity, and $1.1 million for the Adult Learner Leadership Initiative, demonstrate our commitment to ensuring adult learners have every opportunity to access and complete their degrees. The NYS Assembly understands that programs like those at SUNY Broome, which are expanding direct support for adult learners and enhancing cybersecurity training, are prime examples of how SUNY Reconnect will lead to tangible benefits for individuals and our communities."

State Assemblymember and Chair of the Science and Technology Committee Steve Otis said, "The SUNY Reconnect program is a multi-layered and nationally recognized program to assist adult students seeking a college degree and career focused on education in fields where more workers are needed. I am especially excited about the different new technology specialties offered at community colleges. These programs provide real opportunities where we have shortages in qualified and open positions ready to be filled. I am very appreciative of the broad support for this work through the SUNY Reconnect program from Governor Kathy Hochul, Chancellor John King, and both houses of the legislature."

State Assemblymember Joe Angelino said, "I am pleased that Chancellor King came to SUNY Broome to highlight its nursing program. It is one of the best in the nation, and it deserves all the accolades it receives. I am also pleased to see the Reconnect program being promoted, as it is an important tool to make sure high-demand degree fields are filled with highly qualified students."

State Assemblymember Donna Lupardo said, "I'd like to thank Chancellor King for including SUNY Broome as part of his SUNY Reconnect Tour. Enrollment is up substantially as a result of the new tuition waiver, drawing adult learners into careers in high demand fields like nursing. Community Colleges like ours are vital links between student career success and local economic growth."

SUNY Reconnect funds degrees in high-demand fields including:

  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Cybersecurity
  • Engineering
  • 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. SUNY Broome is using its allocation to expand direct support for adult learners through two new dedicated positions. A newly created Coordinator for Student Success and Enrollment serves as the primary point of contact for SUNY Reconnect students, ensuring program eligibility, connecting them to advising and success coaches, assisting with orientation, and monitoring their continued compliance and academic progress. In addition, a new Senior Staff Assistant position supports Reconnect admissions and outreach, providing in-person recruitment at community and employer events, hosting walk-in evening hours, and guiding students through the Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) process. This staff member also collects and analyzes adult learner engagement data to inform marketing and enrollment strategies.
  • 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. SUNY Broome is using its $35,000 allocation to develop fully-online coursework in health studies and health science programs and create a free online module in their LMS to recruit and enroll adult learners preparing to enter the health sciences field.
  • Announced $1.1 million in grant funding for the SUNY Adult Learner Leadership Initiative to help community colleges increase access and ensure degree completion for adult learners. SUNY Broome is leveraging its Adult Learner Leadership Initiative funding to launch a new Coordinator for Adult Student Support and Community Outreach within the Division of Student Development and Diversity. This role was created to strengthen both access and readiness for adult learners, especially those from underrepresented or vulnerable populations. The Coordinator actively develops partnerships with local employers, nonprofits, and community-based organizations to connect with adult learners who may be unemployed, underemployed, or not currently seeking higher education. In addition, the position delivers non-academic transition support tailored to adult learners' unique needs—including personal, financial, psychological, and logistical guidance—offered in hybrid formats and during evenings and weekends to align with the realities of adult students.

In addition to SUNY Reconnect, the FY25-26 Enacted State Budget provides $8 million in increased operating aid to community colleges – the first back-to-back operating aid increases in decades for these institutions – and maintains the 100 percent community college funding floor, which protects community colleges from $75 million in lost direct state tax support.

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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