Patch: Purchase College Celebrates Expansion of ACE Student Success Program

Purchase College President Milagros "Milly" Peña, Assemblyman Steve Otis, Assembly member Chris Burdick, NY State Senator Shelley Mayer surrounded by SUNY and Purchase officials and students who have benefited from the ACE program. (Courtesy of Purchase College, SUNY)

This week, state and local lawmakers, students, and SUNY officials joined Purchase College, SUNY leaders in highlighting the benefits and expansion of the Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) program, a transformative four-year model that has been widely demonstrated to increase student completion rates and narrow opportunity gaps.

Purchase College President Milagros “Milly” Peña said, “As a proud SUNY alumna, I truly believe in the power of SUNY to transform lives and communities through offering personal support and resources such as the ACE program, which is already having great success at Purchase. I sincerely hope that the ACE program will continue to be supported by the state in order to enable more students, families, and communities to benefit in the future.”

“Student success drives everything we do at SUNY, and we are committed to meeting students and their families where they are to ensure they thrive," said SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. “SUNY takes pride in scaling ASAP and ACE as proven models for student success across our campuses and we look forward to continuing to invest in the next generation of SUNY graduates at Purchase College and across the system.”

Purchase College is one of 25 SUNY campuses statewide that opted in to the ASAP|ACE program and as of this fall will enroll 195 students to improve retention and graduation rates.

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

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ASAP|ACE expanded to the SUNY system in Spring 2024, supported by an historic demonstration of state-level support championed by Governor Hochul in the $75 million SUNY Transformation Fund and supplemented by private grants. In Fall 2024, SUNY ASAP|ACE will enroll 4,200 students.

Participating students represent a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and experience, but all share a recognition in the importance of higher education and achieving a degree to achieve their personal and professional goals. See here for more information: https://www.suny.edu/asap-ace/.

State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “I am pleased to join President Peña and my colleagues in the Assembly to celebrate the implementation of the ASAP/ACE programs. These important programs, which will provide students at Purchase College and elsewhere in the SUNY system with financial and academic assistance as well as personal support, are the result of the historic $75 million SUNY Transformation Fund that I helped secure with my colleagues in the Senate. College can be a stressful experience, but the ASAP/ACE programs will enable more students in New York State to stay on track, graduate and move toward a successful future.”

Assemblymember Chris Burdick said, “I am delighted that NYS budget funds for the SUNY system, which I strongly supported, has led to the launch of the ASAP/ACE at Purchase College. Successful at other SUNY campuses, this program will provide crucial support to students otherwise facing insurmountable obstacles to higher education, allowing them to access the superb education Purchase College offers. We can be proud not only of New York’s outstanding higher education system, but that we take strong and effective action to ensure that it is available to all equally.”

Assemblyman Steve Otis said, "The goals of advancing success and on-time graduation are central to the ASAP/ACE program. The Governor, Senate, and Assembly have recognized the importance of funding these support services to assist students in fulfilling their academic hopes and dreams. It is very exciting that these supportive programs are available to Purchase College students. There should be no limit to a student’s opportunities. This innovative support system will help make achieving those goals a reality."

Since being initially launched at CUNY in 2007, ASAP|ACE have served more than 100,000 CUNY students and the programs have been replicated in seven states. The ASAP|ACE programs have been proven to significantly improve degree completion rates, particularly for underrepresented students. They have since been replicated at more than 20 colleges in seven states across the nation.

To learn more about ACE at Purchase College, visit https://www.purchase.edu/offic... or contact Tina Hardin at tina.hardin@purchase.edu or (914) 251-3997.

About Purchase College, SUNY

Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of 64 universities and colleges, was founded in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. His aspiration for Purchase was to create a dynamic campus that combined conservatory training in the visual and performing arts with programs in the liberal arts and sciences, in order to inspire an appreciation for both intellectual and artistic talents in all students. Today, Purchase College, SUNY is a community of students, faculty, and friends where open-minded engagement with the creative process leads to a lifetime of intellectual growth and professional opportunity. For more information about the college, visit www.purchase.edu.

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