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SUNY Canton Commends Gov. Kathy Hochul's 2025 State Agenda for Enhancing Student Success by Supporting ASAP|ACE Programs

The two successful programs help empower students with financial, academic & other support to boost graduation rates, and close opportunity gaps.

Canton, NY (01/17/2025) — SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran applauded Gov. Kathy Hochul for pledging in her 2025 State of the State agenda to deliver ongoing state funding to sustain and expand the proven Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) and Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) programs.

SUNY Canton is home to both programs, which serve as transformative models that have been widely demonstrated to increase student completion rates and narrow opportunity gaps.

"ASAP and ACE add valuable experiences to our educational programming while supporting our students financially," Szafran said. "The programs help link our students with all of the resources available to meet their academic goals and to help prepare them for their professional careers to come."

ASAP (for students pursuing an associate degree) and ACE (for students in Bachelor's degree programs) expanded to the SUNY system in Spring 2024 through the SUNY Transformation Fund. As of Fall 2024, more than 4,200 students now participate in ASAP|ACE across 25 SUNY campuses. Approximately 185 students participate in the programs at SUNY Canton

SUNY Canton's ASAP|ACE Director Kelsey Guerard said she has seen the positive impact of both programs within its first year. "The programs are building a great community and providing connections to online and in-person students," she said. "We are seeing students meet, and even exceed, the academic goals they set during their first semester."

Governor Hochul's 2025 State of the State agenda will make it possible to sustain ASAP|ACE and expand it statewide to reach 10,000 SUNY students.

Since launching ASAP and ACE on campus, SUNY Canton students have received academic, financial, and career readiness support, which empowers them to succeed in their studies, manage their finances, and prepare for thriving careers.

"SUNY is committed to success for every student, and ASAP|ACE programs are the nation's leading, evidence-based model for helping students stay on track to graduation," SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said. "We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her commitment to ASAP|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."

ASAP|ACE programs provide wraparound support to ensure student academic success, retention, and on-time graduation. An array of resources and supports - including academic assistance, personalized advisement, career development activities, and funding to cover textbooks, groceries, transportation, and other costs of attendance - help Pell-eligible students overcome barriers that can prevent them from achieving their goals and obtaining a degree.

Across SUNY, ASAP students' credit completion rates for the Spring 2024 semester were 20% higher than similar non-participants, and ACE students saw 9% higher credit completion rates compared to similar non-ACE students. ASAP|ACE-student retention rates from spring to fall 2024 also outpaced those of non-participants.

SUNY Canton Veterinary Technology major Mikayla E. Nichol from Lowville said ASAP helped her overcome some of the strain of attending college. "They provided me with money so I could pay for my books," she said. "The money helped me not stress out about having to pay for an additional expense."

For more information on ASAP and ACE programs statewide, visit www.suny.edu/asap-ace.

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 23 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.

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Students from SUNY Canton's Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) and Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) programs sit outside of Dana Hall.

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