TC3 Opens New Center to Support Adult Learners and SUNY Reconnect Students

Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) has opened a new center dedicated to helping adult students navigate college, careers and the demands of everyday life.

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. joined college officials Thursday, August 27, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the launch of TC3’s new Adult Learner and Reconnect Center.

The center is designed as a centralized resource for adult learners, including students participating in SUNY Reconnect, veterans, evening and online students, and those balancing college with work and caregiving responsibilities.

The office will provide academic and enrollment guidance, proactive coaching and case-managed support to help adult students enroll, return to college and stay on track toward graduation.

“The SUNY Reconnect program continues to help our students achieve upward mobility and good jobs through access to a high-quality public higher education,” King said. “Through the new Adult Learner and Reconnect Center, Tompkins Cortland Community College will ensure its students are supported as they work to achieve degrees in high-demand fields.”

King also met with TC3 students enrolled through SUNY Reconnect during his visit to campus. The program has contributed to growth in several TC3 programs, including Chemical Dependency Counseling and Health Sciences, which began enrolling students this past spring.

TC3 President Amy Kremenek said adult students now make up the majority of the college’s core student population, making services tailored to their needs increasingly important.

“Serving adult students has historically been a significant priority for community colleges, and the SUNY Reconnect program has emphasized the importance of this segment of TC3’s student body,” Kremenek said.

She said the new center will serve as a hub for services intended to improve adult-student enrollment, retention and completion.

SUNY Reconnect, launched in fall 2025, covers tuition, fees, books and supplies—after applicable financial aid—for eligible New York residents ages 25 to 55 who do not already have a college degree. Students must pursue an associate degree in an eligible high-demand field.

The program now includes fields such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, engineering, technology, nursing and allied health, green and renewable energy, and pathways to teaching in shortage areas. Air traffic control and aviation management, emergency management, and supply chain and logistics were added for the 2026-27 academic year.

According to SUNY, more than 5,600 New Yorkers participated in the program during its inaugural year.

SUNY has also allocated $4.6 million to support implementation of Reconnect across its campuses, including advising, enrollment, outreach, credit for prior learning and other student services.

For TC3, the new center represents an effort to address the particular challenges faced by students returning to college while managing jobs, families and other responsibilities.

“We are grateful to New York State and SUNY for their investment in the SUNY Reconnect program, and for this center, unique to TC3, that serves as the hub for the services and supports that are specifically aimed at the needs of our adult learners,” Kremenek said.