You're Accepted! Governor Hochul Launches New Initiative to Help New York Students Enroll at Public Colleges and Universities

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of the SUNY Top 10% Promise Program, creating a direct pathway for the highest-achieving New York high school seniors to gain admission and enroll at select SUNY colleges and universities. Governor Hochul first announced this plan as a part of her 2024 State of the State to help more New York students benefit from SUNY's unparalleled combination of accessibility, affordability, and academic excellence.

"Access to higher education has the potential to transform New Yorkers' lives and change the trajectory of a student's life," Governor Hochul said. "Offering New York students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class direct admission to SUNY campuses will help reduce barriers to higher education while ensuring our students can continue their education and pursue their dreams right here in New York State."

The Top 10% Promise is a direct-admissions program that automatically grants acceptance to graduating high school students whose GPAs are in the top 10 percent of their class and meet specific academic readiness criteria to at least one selective, world-class SUNY campus. The program will take effect for select high school seniors preparing to enroll for the Fall 2025 semester.

The nine initial participating campuses are: University at Albany, University at Buffalo, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Purchase College, and Stony Brook University.

Students in all New York State school districts will be eligible to participate when the SUNY Top 10% Promise is fully in place. In the first year, 68 school districts (and individual charter schools) from across the state were invited to participate based on serving rural, urban, and suburban communities with high levels of adversity or enrolling a significant share of students from low-income backgrounds. The initial participating high schools are representative of the diversity of New York State.

This builds on Governor Hochul's continued efforts to expand access to higher education and make college more affordable. Earlier this month, Governor Hochul announced that following the increase in income thresholds secured in the FY25 Enacted Budget, more than 40,000 newly eligible New York State students have already submitted Tuition Assistance Program applications for the 2024-25 academic year. Additionally, the Governor announced last week that SUNY, CUNY and over 50 private colleges and universities throughout New York State have come together to offer free application opportunities for high school seniors starting this week.

There is substantial evidence that high-achieving, low-income students apply to, and end up attending, less selective postsecondary institutions at higher rates than their higher income peers. Several states, including Texas and California, also offer direct admissions to the highest-achieving students, and have found this policy advances equity in their university systems. In California, for example, where students must also complete a college-ready curriculum to be eligible for the UC system, the admissions guarantee increased enrollment in selective universities for underrepresented students, increased graduation rates, and increased post-graduation earnings. 

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, "There is a place at SUNY for every New Yorker, and The SUNY Top 10% Promise will make it even easier for our highest-achieving high school students - particularly those from low-income backgrounds - to discover SUNY's extraordinary value and academic excellence. With thanks to Governor Hochul for her leadership, this new direct admission program will advance educational equity and open the doors to higher education even wider."

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky said, "Students who graduate in the top 10% of their high school class have demonstrated the ability to attend college. These are the future leaders of New York, and by offering direct admission we can help ensure they get the quality education they need to reach their full potential. This program will provide more opportunities for deserving students by providing a seamless entry to SUNY."

Assemblymember Patricia Fahy said, "The SUNY Top 10% program will provide top-performing students at select school districts direct admission top SUNY institutions they might not otherwise apply to. This is part of our ongoing commitment to revitalizing higher education and expanding access for more high school students. Coupled with our investments in Turning on the TAP in this year's state budget, we're paving the way for more students to finally achieve their dream of securing a higher education."

The Institute for College Access & Success Senior Director of New York Policy and Advocacy at Kirsten Keefe, J.D. said, "TICAS applauds Governor Hochul and Chancellor King for their leadership, helping to ensure that students across New York understand that college is a viable option for them. Alongside existing efforts to address financial need and offer students the supports they need to graduate, today's announcement demonstrates how SUNY is helping to advance racial equity and economic mobility in the Empire State."

President of Complete College America Yolanda Watson Spiva said, "Among the first steps to earning a degree or credential of value is ensuring that every student has a clear path to and through higher education. The State of New York and SUNY, a committed and active member of the Complete College America Alliance since joining just under a year ago, have demonstrated their unwavering commitment to increasing the number of New Yorkers completing college, regardless of economic status. The Top 10% Promise Program is an important part of the larger fabric of efforts the system is making to create viable postsecondary pathways for every learner in the state."

Northeast Regional Director at Young Invincibles Sean Miller said, "The SUNY Top 10% Promise Program provides a vital opportunity for promising students, especially those from low-income backgrounds, to enroll and thrive at SUNY campuses. Using cumulative GPA, the most accurate measure of college preparedness, and automatically accepting students removes major financial and administrative barriers to being accepted at these superb state schools. Young Invincibles NY and our student network applaud SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and Governor Hochul for launching this initiative-a significant milestone in expanding higher education access, equity, and economic mobility in New York."

About The State University of New York

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY's 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country's oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2023, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit their website here .

Contact the Governor's Press Office