In a move set to reshape New York’s workforce, the SUNY and CUNY Reconnect program now opens doors to free associate degrees for adults aged 25 to 55 with no prior college education. This state-funded offer covers tuition, books, and essential fees across fields like nursing, AI, cybersecurity, and renewable energy. With industry needs rising, the plan blends opportunity with urgency, turning dreams into degrees. Governor Hochul calls it a path to power through knowledge—free, focused, and future-ready—making ambition affordable for thousands ready to return, rise, and reinvent.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Eligibility: Adults in New York aged 25–55 with no previous college degree or credential

• Institutions covered: All CUNY and SUNY campuses statewide

• Costs covered: Tuition, fees, textbooks, and school supplies (after financial aid is applied)

• Career fields included:

  • Advanced Manufacturing

  • Artificial Intelligence

  • Cybersecurity

  • Engineering

  • Technology

  • Nursing and Allied Health

  • Green and Renewable Energy

  • Teacher Training (in shortage areas)

• Additional support: Academic advisement offered to adult learners

In an ambitious step to reshape adult education in New York, Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a new program that will allow eligible adults to earn free associate degrees in some of the most in-demand career fields. The initiative, known as SUNY and CUNY Reconnect, is designed for New Yorkers aged 25 to 55 who have not previously earned a college degree or credential.

The program, available through the City University of New York (CUNY) and the State University of New York (SUNY), goes beyond traditional financial aid. It will fully cover costs that often discourage adult learners from returning to school, including tuition, fees, textbooks, and essential school supplies.

“Cost should never be a barrier”

“The cost of pursuing a degree should never be a barrier for New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul stated in an official release announcing the program. “That’s why we’re opening the doors of opportunity at SUNY and CUNY so that students can achieve their dreams.”

By addressing financial obstacles and expanding access to targeted career education, the state aims to better prepare its workforce for evolving industry needs.

“I’m fighting to make education more affordable and accessible,” Hochul continued, “and the Reconnect program will continue to pave the way forward for students as they enter our state’s future workforce.”

Focused on the future of work

The Reconnect program focuses on high-demand sectors where New York is currently facing worker shortages. These include fields critical to technological advancement, healthcare, education, and the green economy.

According to the governor’s office, the eligible fields for free degrees are:

• Advanced manufacturing

• Artificial intelligence

• Cybersecurity

• Engineering

• Technology

• Nursing and allied health professions

• Green and renewable energy

• Pathways to teaching in shortage areas

These areas reflect both current job vacancies and projected growth, with state leaders pointing to recent investments in infrastructure, sustainability, and digital technology as driving forces.

Preparing a skilled workforce

A spokesperson from the Governor’s office added that New York’s investments in industries like semiconductors, AI, and clean energy are already shaping the state’s economic direction. As a result, the demand for technically skilled professionals is growing.

“New York State has stepped up as a national leader in many emerging industries,” the official statement noted. “As a result of these investments, many of the new jobs available in New York will require workers with a degree or credential to fill these specialized positions.”

In addition to financial support, adult learners enrolled through the Reconnect program will also receive academic advisement—an essential element to help returning students stay on track in their studies, especially those who may be navigating college for the first time or returning after a long gap.

This initiative represents a broader shift in how the state approaches workforce development and higher education—particularly as more adults seek to pivot careers or re-enter the workforce in a post-pandemic economy.

New York’s SUNY and CUNY Reconnect program marks a pivotal turn in adult education—offering not just degrees, but a second chance at ambition, skill-building, and career change. By eliminating financial burdens and aligning education with real-world demand, the state is investing in people ready to rise again. For thousands of adults seeking relevance in a fast-moving job market, this initiative isn’t just a policy—it’s a promise of progress, purpose, and possibility.

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