Three Finger Lakes-area community colleges—Cayuga, Finger Lakes, and Corning—are among the 22 institutions statewide awarded grants through Governor Kathy Hochul’s Adult Learner Leadership Initiative. The funding, totaling $1.1 million, aims to expand access to higher education for adult learners, particularly those seeking degrees in high-demand fields.
The initiative is part of Governor Hochul’s broader plan to make community college tuition-free for New Yorkers aged 25-55 who pursue careers in sectors such as health care, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and green jobs. It also seeks to remove barriers that prevent working adults from completing their education, including flexible scheduling, academic support, and recognition of prior learning experience.
Cayuga Community College will use its $50,000 grant to enhance recruitment efforts targeting adult learners, expand co-requisite models to address academic preparedness, improve transparency in course scheduling, and increase weekend and evening academic offerings. The college also plans to foster a stronger sense of belonging for non-traditional students on campus.
Finger Lakes Community College, also receiving $50,000, will focus on marketing efforts to attract adult learners, expand credit for prior learning, and adjust campus policies to better meet their needs. The grant will also support more weekend and evening courses and non-academic services.
Corning Community College, awarded $41,928, intends to strengthen outreach to adult learners, expand academic credit for prior experience, and enhance weekend and evening course availability. Additionally, the college will address gaps in academic preparation through co-requisite learning models and ensure campus policies align with the needs of working students.
The grants, made possible through the SUNY Transformation Fund, will allow colleges to develop their action plans through the summer before full implementation in the fall 2025 semester. With more than a quarter of SUNY’s community college students aged 25 or older, the initiative is expected to help working-age New Yorkers complete degrees and enter the workforce with the skills needed for long-term career success.
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