Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) President Robert Nye has expressed strong support for Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to expand funding for the Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) program. This initiative, outlined in the governor’s 2025 State of the State agenda, aims to provide sustained and expanded support for community college students across New York.
The ASAP program, introduced into the SUNY system in spring 2024 through the SUNY Transformation Fund, has already shown measurable success. At FLCC, 150 students currently benefit from the program’s comprehensive suite of resources, which includes academic assistance, personalized advisement, career development activities, and financial support for essentials like textbooks, groceries, and transportation.
Fine arts major Ash Bertelsen, one of the program participants, described the experience as transformative. “It’s been amazing. They can help me with any resource that I need. They also keep me on track with a lot of my grades,” said Bertelsen, who joined ASAP in fall 2024.
The governor’s plan seeks to secure ongoing state funding for both ASAP and its four-year counterpart, Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE). Together, these programs supported 4,200 SUNY students in fall 2024. Hochul’s proposed expansion would allow the programs to serve up to 10,000 students statewide.
“SUNY is committed to success for every student, and ASAP and ACE programs are the nation’s leading, evidence-based model for helping students stay on track to graduation,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her commitment to ASAP and ACE in the 2025 State of the State agenda and look forward to working with the governor and our champions in the legislature to continue to scale this proven investment in student success.”
The effectiveness of ASAP is evident in the data: SUNY reports that ASAP students’ credit completion rates for the spring 2024 semester were 20% higher than those of non-participating peers.
For more information on FLCC’s ASAP program, visit the college’s website. Statewide details about ASAP and ACE can be found at www.suny.edu/asap-ace.
