(SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York – Dec. 12, 2019) A new partnership between SUNY Empire State College and Suffolk County Community College provides guaranteed admission to a bachelor degree program at SUNY Empire for eligible SCCC graduates. This announcement follows the opening of the brand-new SUNY Empire Long Island campus in Selden.

The new agreement assures a seamless transfer to SUNY Empire for SCCC 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 earning their associate degree.

The partnership also waives the orientation fee and provides a $100 Presidential Scholarship to all transfer students.

Thanks to SUNY Empire’s flexible, personalized education model, SCCC 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 campuses and learning hubs across New York state, including several on Long Island.

Students transferring from SCCC to SUNY Empire can now take advantage of SUNY Empire’s new, state-of-the-art campus in Selden equipped with cutting-edge technology for in-person and distance learning, which allows students to collaborate with each other as well as faculty and peers across New York state in rich learning environments. SUNY Empire’s Selden campus is less than half a mile from Suffolk Community College’s campus, creating an easily accessible transition to bachelor’s degree right down the road.

“By strategically co-locating our new campus near Suffolk County Community College, Suffolk graduates can easily continue their education and pursue their goals with as few barriers as possible,” said SUNY Empire State College President Jim Malatras. “SCCC students will save time and money on a bachelor’s degree program under this important partnership. I’d like to thank Suffolk County Community College Interim President Louis Petrizzo and the hardworking faculty and staff at both institutions that made this possible.”

“Community colleges are all about creating opportunities for our students and Empire State has created a wonderful transfer opportunity today with a fee waiver and a scholarship component that should be the template for all transfer agreements,” said Suffolk County Community College Interim President Louis Petrizzo.

To be eligible, SCCC transfer students must have completed an associate degree within the past three years, or be in (or entering) their final semester of completing an associate’s degree. The program is also open to employees of Suffolk County Community College. 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 contact at the School for Graduate Studies to help 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 Suffolk. For a list of bachelor’s degree programs, visit www.esc.edu/degrees-programs/.

For more information on graduate level degree and certificate programs offered by SUNY Empire State College, or to apply, visit http://www.esc.edu/graduate-studies/. 

About Suffolk County Community College

Suffolk County Community College promotes intellectual discovery, physical development, social and ethical awareness, and economic opportunities for all through an education that transforms lives, builds communities, and improves society.

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.