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SUNY Potsdam Launches ACE Program to Help Students Start Strong, Finish Strong

SUNY Potsdam Now Welcoming Applications for Advancing Completion Through Engagement (ACE) Program to Help Them Graduate on Time

Potsdam, NY (11/30/2023) — SUNY Potsdam is proud to launch the campus's Advancing Completion Through Engagement (ACE) Program, which is designed to provide students with the support they need to graduate on time.

Applications are now open for the new program, which will help students to start strong and finish strong. ACE will connect students with essential resources and opportunities to help them finish their degrees in four years, including tuition gap scholarships, textbook assistance, Bear Express funds, personal advising and priority class registration.

"We are ready to help students hit the ground running in their first semester, and help them all along the way to get to graduation on time," said ACE Program Director Sean Partridge. "This is a fantastic opportunity for students to get that extra boost they need to cross the finish line. We want to eliminate those small hurdles that slow students' studies down or stop them altogether."

SUNY Potsdam is one of 25 campuses that were chosen from across the SUNY System to join in the effort, with support from the historic New York State-funded SUNY Transformation Fund. The degree completion program is modeled on evidence-based practices to remove financial barriers to full-time study, provide structured pathways to help students gain and maintain academic momentum, and create connected communities through integrated supports and engagement activities -- all in service of dramatically increasing timely completion rates for participating students.

ACE is open to Pell Grant-eligible students, and provides multiple resources, including tuition and fee support after accounting for financial aid, travel and textbook expenses, comprehensive personalized advisement services, academic support assistance, and career development activities.

SUNY ASAP/ACE is modeled on the highly successful City University of New York (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) and its related baccalaureate program Accelerate, Complete and Engage (ACE), which have been found through rigorous evaluation to dramatically increase completion rates, narrow opportunity gaps, and realize cost efficiencies and benefits. Since their inception in 2007, ASAP/ACE have collectively served more than 90,000 students within CUNY and have been replicated in seven states.

All partner campuses are participating in a structured planning and technical assistance process led by the CUNY ASAP/ACE national replication team, in collaboration with the SUNY Office of Student Success. Inaugural cohorts of 150 students per campus will be admitted across Spring and Fall 2024.

Coupled with SUNY Potsdam's other longstanding support programs -- including the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the Bridges Program, the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) and TRiO Student Support Services (SSS), this new opportunity will open doors for even more students to meet their goals.

To learn more about SUNY Potsdam's ACE Program, visit www.potsdam.edu/ace.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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SUNY Potsdam is now welcoming applications for the campus’s new Advancing Completion Through Engagement (ACE) Program, which will provide support to help students graduate on-time.

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