Cayuga Community College has 150 students in a SUNY support program that helps cover college expenses and provides advising, part of a four-campus partnership serving 940 students.
Officials and students from Cayuga, SUNY Oswego, Jefferson Community College and Onondaga Community College gathered Oct. 29 at Oswego's Hewitt Hall to discuss the programs and how support can continue when students transfer, according to Cayuga's account.
Financial help comes with advising and career support
Advancing Success in Associate Pathways, or ASAP, serves community college students. Advancing Completion through Engagement, or ACE, supports students at bachelor's-degree institutions.
Eligible students can receive help with textbooks, groceries, transportation and other costs of attendance, alongside academic assistance, personalized advising and career development activities.
Oswego President Peter O. Nwosu said its ACE program serves 490 students, with another 200 on a waiting list. Onondaga President Warren Hilton said his college's ASAP program supports 150 students.
Cayuga Provost Keiko Kimura said the program reduces financial barriers while building students' confidence and a community of classmates who support one another. Jefferson President Daniel Dupee emphasized the combination of advising, financial help and encouragement.
Cayuga student looks toward accounting career
Kati Champagne, a Cayuga business administration major, has worked for her grandfather's tax preparation business for 16 years and hopes to become a certified public accountant.
Champagne said ASAP helped her build confidence and arrange classes around other responsibilities. She is considering continuing at Oswego, where ACE support could help her pursue a bachelor's degree.
Oswego ACE director Jordan Pritchard said the campuses are strengthening transfer pathways so students can retain support as they move from associate to bachelor's programs.
Melinda McCarthy, an Oswego transfer student and ACE peer mentor, described finding encouragement and community when she returned to school. State Sen. Chris Ryan also attended the event, stressing that entering college is only the beginning and students need support to finish.
Statewide program now reaches 44 campuses
SUNY launched ASAP and ACE in 2024. An additional $8 million in the 2026-27 state budget expanded the programs to 10,000 students at 44 campuses and brought annual state investment to $20 million.
The colleges reported that ACE participants earned up to 1.7 more credits than matched comparison students by their third semester, with retention up to 8.6 percentage points higher by the fourth. ASAP participants earned up to 1.4 more credits in their first semester, with retention differences reaching 12.3 percentage points by the fourth semester. Those are comparisons reported by the program, rather than guarantees for individual students.
Information about Cayuga's program is available through its ASAP student services page, with statewide details at SUNY ASAP and ACE.
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