NYC Gazette

CUNY Reconnect, a program funded by the city to re-engage New Yorkers who have earned college credits but did not complete their degrees, has enabled the City University of New York (CUNY) to re-enroll 16,319 students during the 2023-2024 academic year. This brings the total number of students who have returned to CUNY through Reconnect since its inception in 2022 to 33,378. More than 10% of these students – numbering 3,375 – have either completed their degrees or are on track to do so this spring.

The majority of these returning students were attending part-time. CUNY Reconnect pairs them with trained advisers who assist them in navigating the enrollment process, selecting an academic program and creating a class schedule that accommodates their employment, caregiving and other obligations. The advisers also provide support for students applying for financial aid.

New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams conceived and championed CUNY Reconnect. The initiative was established with an initial $4.4 million investment from the city, which increased funding to $5.8 million in the current fiscal year.

“Helping working New Yorkers access educational and economic opportunities has been a consistent priority for this Council,” said Speaker Adams. “I am thrilled that CUNY Reconnect has now supported more than 33,000 students in their return to college."

CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez will testify about the effectiveness of CUNY Reconnect before the New York City Council this Wednesday regarding the University’s budget request for FY 2025.

"CUNY Reconnect is integral to the University’s mission," said Chancellor Rodríguez. "We thank our partners in government for helping CUNY make good on its mission to lift New York."

CUNY Reconnect graduates include Karina Castro, a psychology major at Hunter College, and Charlene Batts, currently studying criminal justice at Kingsborough Community College. Both women credit the program with helping them return to their studies after interruptions.

To raise awareness of Reconnect and encourage more New Yorkers to take advantage of it, CUNY launched a multimedia ad campaign this spring featuring some of those who have recently returned to college.

The City University of New York is the nation’s largest urban public university. Founded in 1847 as the nation’s first free public institution of higher education, CUNY today serves more than 225,000 undergraduate and graduate students and awards 50,000 degrees each year.