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The City University of New York (CUNY) re-enrolled 16,319 stopped-out students during the 2023-24 academic year thanks to its CUNY Reconnect Program.
CUNY Reconnect is a city-funded program designed to engage New Yorkers who earned college credits but stopped short of getting a degree. The program was conceived by New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and grew out of an initial $4.4 million investment from the city.
The program pairs prospective students with trained advisers who help them navigate the enrollment process, choose an academic program, and create a class schedule that accommodates their other obligations such as employment and caregiving. Its advisers also support students through the financial aid process and the FAFSA application.
“We thank our partners in government for helping CUNY make good on its mission to lift New York, and we welcome the students who have taken this important step toward improving their future,” said Chancellor Dr. Felix V. Matos RodrĂguez. “We congratulate those who returned to college through CUNY Reconnect, completed a degree and moved forward, better equipped to pursue their dreams.”
CUNY Reconnect identified more than 100,000 students who left CUNY colleges without graduating in the past five years. Officials have counted 33,378 students who have returned to college since the program’s 2022 launch — more than 10% of them have completed their degree programs or are expect to this spring.
Current funding for CUNY Reconnect is $5.8 million with a potential $2.9 million increase to boost the program’s reach.
CUNY estimates that there are some 700,000 working-age New Yorkers who have earned credits and could return to finish their degrees or earn certificates that would help them enhance their careers. This includes students who left college during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as those who withdrew years or even decades ago.