Governor Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday that New York will expand its nationally acclaimed college retention and completion program, SUNY ASAP|ACE, to nine additional campuses this fall, increasing total enrollment to more than 7,000 students.
Backed by $12 million from the state’s FY26 budget, the expansion brings the program to 34 State University of New York (SUNY) institutions. Officials aim to reach 10,000 students by fall 2026.
“ASAP|ACE has already assisted thousands of New Yorkers in their higher education journey, and I am proud that more students will benefit from its expansion,” Hochul said in a statement.
ASAP (Advancing Success in Associate Pathways) and ACE (Advancing Completion through Engagement) support students pursuing associate and bachelor’s degrees, respectively. The model provides wraparound academic, financial, and personal support designed to remove barriers to full-time study and improve graduation rates.
The expansion includes four community colleges — Dutchess, Monroe, Onondaga, and Tompkins Cortland — and five state-operated campuses: University at Albany, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Delhi, SUNY Old Westbury, and SUNY Oneonta.
Preliminary outcomes data show that ASAP students have a 20% higher credit completion rate and 8% higher persistence rate compared to non-participants. ACE students show similar improvements in academic progress and retention. A recent independent study at Westchester Community College showed ASAP participants were nearly 12 percentage points more likely to graduate than students in a control group.
Chancellor John B. King said the expansion marks “a proven, evidence-based strategy to improve retention and completion,” made possible by legislative and gubernatorial support.
The program’s growth received praise from state lawmakers and national education leaders. “This is what equity in action looks like,” said Assemblymember Anna R. Kelles, calling the program a model for removing systemic barriers to college success.
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