ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday unveiled her plan to offer free community college tuition to adult learners ages 25 to 55 in New York state.
Hochul discussed her proposal during a Wednesday morning visit to Onondaga Community College. The plan is part of the governor’s 2025 State of the State.
Statewide, more than 4 million working-age adults don’t have a college degree or credential. The proposal would cover tuition, fees, and books at any SUNY or CUNY community college for these adult learners who have never earned a degree and are pursuing an associate degree in a high-demand field, including nursing, teaching, technology, and engineering.
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“Under my plan, every New Yorker will have the chance to pursue a free associate degree at SUNY and CUNY community colleges to help fill the in-demand jobs of tomorrow,” Hochul said in the announcement.
Besides the governor’s remarks, SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr. joined the event as Onondaga Community College President Warren Hilton updated the governor on the campus’s readiness to expand enrollment in academic programs tied to in-demand jobs.
The tour at OCC included the construction site for the $15 million, 5,000 square-foot Micron Simulation Lab at the campus, which will help to train students. The clean room is expected to be fully operational during the summer of 2026.
Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) has plans for a massive semiconductor-manufacturing campus in the town of Clay, that officials are saying will transform the Central New York economy.
