(FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK, December 7, 2021) — SUNY Empire State College and Long Island Educational Opportunity Center (Long Island EOC), finalized a partnership agreement offering college degree options to the program’s students, graduates, employees and their family members. Long Island EOC provides Long Island residents with innovative academic and vocational training programs leading to gainful employment and economic self-sufficiency. 

The partnership agreement allows Long Island EOC participants to participate in SUNY Empire’s Corporate and Community Partnership Benefits Program. As part of the agreement, SUNY Empire will waive the orientation fee for incoming students and provide a $100 Better Together scholarship for participants who enroll in a degree-seeking program at SUNY Empire State College.

All programs can be completed entirely online to fit the busy lives of working students. Participants will also benefit from SUNY Empire’s prior learning assessment, which awards college credit for relevant work and life experience, reducing the overall cost and time needed to complete a degree.

Long Island EOC participants may also qualify to apply for admission to one of SUNY Empire’s opportunity programs, which provide academic and/or financial support to underserved students who show promise for college success. SUNY Empire’s opportunity programs serve students at all stages of life and learning, full or part time. 

SUNY Empire State College Officer in Charge Nathan Gonyea said, "Studies consistently show that workers with college education make more than workers without one. Today's partnership signing with Long Island EOC makes it more convenient and affordable for those working and living on Long Island to get that education. Long Island EOC is dedicated to providing the training and resources necessary to create a skilled workforce and career opportunities in significant regional industries, including healthcare and business. This partnership enhances their work, providing an educational pathway to a flexible, online college degree through SUNY Empire. We look forward to working with Long Island EOC, and we are excited to welcome its members, employees, students, and retirees to the SUNY Empire community.” 

SUNY Empire State College Senior Director of Opportunity Programs Dana Brown said, “I am so pleased to partner with Long Island EOC. A significant number of students in our opportunity programs live on Long Island and having another resource to support our students is vitally important. We look forward to working with Long Island EOC to increase supports and opportunities for success for students across the board.” 

SUNY Empire State College Director of Corporate and Community Partnerships Kylie Byrne said, “For five decades, Long Island EOC has offered services to underserved adults, a commitment SUNY Empire also has shared over the last 50 years. Our partnership will strengthen the work of both organizations and ensure that students have a pathway to college success.”

Long Island Educational Opportunity Center Interim Executive Director Charles Miranda said, “The agreement between SUNY Empire State College and the Long Island Educational Opportunity Center is the latest example of connecting SUNY’s wide-ranging higher-education programs with Long Island EOC students. Our partnership with SUNY Empire enables our students and the communities we serve the opportunity to achieve life-altering accomplishments through SUNY Empire’s certificate and degree programs. The Long Island EOC strives to create a positive influence in our students’ everyday lives, and our relationship with SUNY Empire will help make a difference in our student’s quality of life, changing their future for the better.”