SUNY and CUNY Reconnect (Free Community College for Adults)
New York State, via SUNY and CUNY (New York State Opportunity Promise Scholarship)
Apply any timeRenews each year
Free tuition, books, supplies and waived fees for New Yorkers 25-55 without a degree, in high-demand associate programs
- How much
- Free tuition, books, supplies and waived fees (last-dollar, after other aid)
- Who qualifies
- NYS resident or eligible for in-state tuition; age 25-55 as of Jan 1 of the semester of application; no prior postsecondary degree (from fall 2026, SUNY says eligible nursing students may qualify even with a prior degree); at least 6 credits/semester and 12/year in an approved program.
- For adults going back to school, students starting college, undergrads
- For high-demand fields: advanced manufacturing, AI, cybersecurity, engineering, nursing/allied health, renewable energy, teaching shortage areas, technology students
- When to apply
- Apply any time No published deadline; follows each college's admissions/term calendar
- How to apply
- Apply to an eligible program through SUNY's or CUNY's Reconnect pages
- File the FAFSA and the NYS TAP application (or NYS DREAM Act application)
- No separate scholarship application per SUNY
- Funding is applied once eligibility is met
- What you'll need
- FAFSA + state application
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (ny.gov) and page 2
The details
Covers tuition, books, supplies and fees at SUNY and CUNY community colleges (and some CUNY senior colleges) for eligible high-demand degree programs (e.g. advanced manufacturing, AI, cybersecurity, engineering, nursing and allied health, green/renewable energy, teaching in shortage areas, technology), after other aid. Full- or part-time (at least 6 credits per semester, 12 per year).
More money from New York
- Enhanced Tuition Award (ETA)Up to $6,000 for tuition expenses
- Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)$1,000 to $5,665
- NYS Scholarships for Academic Excellence$500 or $1,500 per year
- Excelsior ScholarshipCovers tuition at SUNY/CUNY (last-dollar, after other aid)
- Non-degree Part-Time Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)Prorated TAP award based on credits and actual tuition
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.