Herkimer College Applauds Gov. Hochul for Critical Support for Student Success in 2025 State of the State Agenda

Herkimer College Officer-in-Charge Nicholas Laino today 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, transformative models that have been widely demonstrated to increase student completion rates and narrow opportunity gaps, including at Herkimer College.

“The ASAP program is a game-changer for the students we serve at Herkimer College. We’ve seen firsthand how providing comprehensive support—both academic and personal—empowers students to persist and thrive,” said Laino. “We appreciate Governor Hochul’s commitment to expanding these initiatives, which open doors to opportunity, narrow equity gaps, and ultimately help students achieve their goals.”

ASAP (for students pursuing associate degrees) 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, including 150 students at Herkimer College, 32 of whom earned academic honors.

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 on campus, Herkimer College students have felt immediate tangible benefits, with positive impacts on academic momentum, including higher credit completion and retention rates and high levels of student engagement.

“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.

For more information about the ASAP program at Herkimer College, visit www.herkimer.edu/asap. For more information on ASAP and ACE programs statewide, visit www.suny.edu/asap-ace.