(SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Dec. 27, 2019) State University of New York Empire State College and Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey have partnered to provide guaranteed admission to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program at SUNY Empire for eligible Brookdale graduates. 

The new agreement will assure a seamless transfer to SUNY Empire, the State University of New York’s leading online college, for Brookdale graduates with any associate degree. It allows students to transfer up to 79 lower-division credits to SUNY Empire, more than half the 124 total credits required to complete a bachelor’s degree, meaning students can earn a bachelor’s degree in as little as one year after their associate degree. 

The partnership also waives the orientation fee, and SUNY Empire offers a nonresident tuition grant for out-of-state students that reduces per-credit tuition cost by more than 50 percent.

Thanks to SUNY Empire’s flexible, personalized education model, Brookdale students can complete their degrees entirely online with one-to-one mentoring and academic support. SUNY Empire also offers on-site learning at more than 30 locations across New York state.

“This partnership aligns SUNY Empire and Brookdale’s mutual commitment to creating pathways to education,” said SUNY Empire State College President Jim Malatras. “Thank you to Brookdale Community College President David Stout for continuing to find opportunities to ease the financial burden on students who might not have considered continuing their education. SUNY Empire is ready to welcome Brookdale grads.” 

To be eligible, transfer students must have completed an associate degree within the last 3 years, or be in, or entering, their final semester of an associate degree. 

The program is also open to employees of Brookdale. Employees who already hold a bachelor’s degree and wish to pursue a graduate degree at SUNY Empire, are eligible for the same benefits listed above. In addition, these students will have access to a point of contract at the School for Graduate Studies with the admissions, enrollment and orientation process. 

SUNY Empire State College offers a wide range of bachelor’s degree programs that align with many of the associate degree programs at Brookdale. For a list of bachelor’s degree programs, visit www.esc.edu/degrees-programs/. 

About Brookdale Community College

Brookdale Community College, located in Lincroft, New Jersey, is an excellent resource for residents of Monmouth County. The College offers (2-year) associate degrees and certificates, plus non-credit classes in many areas of personal and professional interest. Brookdale is an open admission, comprehensive community college. Anyone with a high school or equivalency diploma is eligible to study at Brookdale. However, anyone 18 years or older may enroll at Brookdale even without a high school diploma or equivalency diploma. The College was founded in 1967 and is sponsored by the citizens of Monmouth County through the Board of Chosen Freeholders.

About SUNY Empire State College

SUNY Empire State College educates more than 17,000 students in person, online, and through a blend of both, at more than 30 locations in New York and at eight international sites worldwide. Together with one of SUNY Empire’s more than 1,300 faculty mentors, each student designs their own individualized pathway to a college degree that accommodates their schedule and awards credit for prior college-level learning. SUNY Empire awards more than 3,000 degrees annually and 94 percent of graduates stay in New York State. Today, more than 87,000 SUNY Empire alumni are entrepreneurs, veterans, and active members of the military, professional athletes, teachers, medical professionals, and leaders in their field, as well as in their communities. To learn more, visit www.esc.edu and follow the college on social media @SUNYEmpire.