10/08/2026
Leaders from SUNY Cortland and Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) were joined by SUNY and New York state officials on Oct. 8 to celebrate the continued success of ASAP|ACE, the nation’s leading college retention and completion model.
SUNY Cortland recently launched its Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) program in Fall 2026, while TC3 highlighted a strong inaugural year for its Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) program.
Through the highly successful student retention model, eligible undergraduates can access funds to cover textbooks, groceries, transportation and other costs of attendance as well as comprehensive personalized advisement and career development assistance to help overcome barriers that prevent them from obtaining a degree.
The event highlighted the impact of ASAP|ACE on students at the two nearby institutions and across SUNY. New York State Sen. Lea Webb and SUNY University Director for ASAP|ACE Jennifer Bashant joined SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum, TC3 President Amy Kremenek, ASAP|ACE staff members and supporters, and student participants from both schools.
“I tell people all the time that I have no problem bragging about the colleges and universities in my district,” said Sen. Webb. “I very proudly talk about the work that’s happening, and today’s announcement is a continuation of that.
“I really believe that education is not only a great equalizer; it is really a pathway for shared collective progress.”
Gray Lewis, a cinema study major and ACE scholar from Lansing, N.Y., offered a unique perspective on the retention initiative. They benefitted from ASAP at TC3 before attending SUNY Cortland.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for (ASAP),” Lewis said, noting that they originally did not plan to attend college. “With their help and support, and the support of other students and teachers, I eventually graduated and was able to transfer to here, and I am excited to see where the ACE program takes me. …
“I really do think that programs like this open doors for students, even if they decide they don’t want to go to college, and then all of a sudden they do, like I did,” Lewis said. “They open thousands of doors to career paths and graduation.”
That sentiment was echoed by Jewle-Krystal Fisher, a human services major at TC3 from Ithaca, N.Y.
“A lot of us have the capability, but we don’t have the financial stability for (college),” said Fisher, a mother of two who works full-time as a program assistant at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center. “So these programs are door openers for a lot of us that just need that extra cushion.”
Launched by SUNY in 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature included an additional $8 million in the 2026-27 Enacted State Budget to bring ASAP|ACE to 10 more SUNY campuses across the state, including SUNY Cortland, demonstrating the university’s commitment to improving student success across New York. The university previously announced its ACE participation in June and quickly reached its full capacity for the program, with 150 students enrolled.
“As a university, we work hard to not only recruit and enroll hard-working students, but also to support them in ways that will help pursue high-impact learning experiences and stay on track to graduate,” said President Bitterbaum. “That’s exactly what ACE strives to do for qualifying students.”
TC3 joined the ASAP initiative in Fall 2025, achieving a fall-to-spring retention rate that far exceeded the college’s general population. Like SUNY Cortland, TC3 filled all 150 student openings this past fall — underscoring interest in the program.
“The SUNY ASAP program has been a great success in our first year of having the program at TC3,” said President Kremenek. “There is nothing more fulfilling than watching a student succeed, especially one who has overcome obstacles, and the SUNY ASAP program helps make that happen.”
ASAP and ACE are part of the SUNY Board of Trustees’ and SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.’s vision of advancing student success and upward mobility within the SUNY system. As of the Fall 2026 semester, ASAP|ACE is serving 10,000 students across 44 SUNY campuses.
Bashant, whose work extends across the SUNY system, praised those student participants.
“To the students that are here today, and those across all of SUNY, I want to let you know how proud we are of you,” she said. “You are the beating heart of this program.
“We believe deeply in your potential, and you are the reason that we all come to work every day.”