To encourage college enrollment after high school and improve the personal and community and economic well-being of Sullivan County residents, the Sullivan County Legislature voted on April 21 to approve funding for a new tuition-free scholarship program at SUNY Sullivan. The Sullivan Promise Scholarship will cover the cost of tuition and fees to Sullivan County 2022 high school graduates for one year of full-time study in a degree program at SUNY Sullivan.
“While everyone knows that a college degree can open new doors to careers and lifetime earnings, it is also closely linked to important health and societal benefits,” said SUNY Sullivan President Jay Quaintance. “We applaud the County Legislature in making college more affordable and accessible and investing in the well-being of Sullivan County’s young people!”
“Keeping our young talent in their home county has long been a fervent hope of parents, teachers and community leaders,” said Sullivan County Manager Joshua A. Potosek. “This scholarship program will make that goal far easier to achieve and will benefit the College and the County as well. I’m proud we can make this valuable offer to our high-schoolers and their families, and I appreciate the Legislature’s unanimous support in making this a reality.”
“This is not a giveaway–it’s a promise, like the name of the program,” said Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Robert A. Doherty. “It’s a promise to our hardworking seniors that they can begin forging their professional lives right here in Sullivan County. And, it holds the promise of retaining our young people into adulthood, into leadership, into volunteerism, into raising the next generation with the hope we gave them. It’s the promise of a future.”
The Sullivan Promise Scholarship program will cover the full tuition and fees of Sullivan County residents who graduated from high school in 2022, including GED students and homeschoolers, who are admitted to SUNY Sullivan beginning in fall of 2022. Interested students must submit a financial aid application. There is a two-year residency requirement and recipients must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA while enrolled at the College. For more information on the Sullivan Promise Scholarship and eligibility, please visit sunysullivan.edu/sullivan-promise-scholarship.
In its resolution approving the Sullivan Promise Program, the Legislature stated that tuition is often a barrier that prevents students from enrolling in college; that one in ten people who have student loans continue to owe on those loans for over ten years; prolonged debt can often delay or prevent people from buying a home or starting a business; individuals who complete an associate’s degree earn on average one-third more money over their lifetime than individuals with only a high school diploma; and states and counties that have established tuition free community college programs have seen substantial increases in community college enrollment and completion along with decreased student loan debt.
For more information on the Sullivan Promise Scholarship, send an email to admissions@sunysullivan.edu or call 845-730-3113.
Registration for SUNY Sullivan’s virtual summer classes, and in-person, virtual, and hybrid courses for the fall semester is open. Virtual registration sessions hosted by advisors and enrollment specialists are offered on Tuesdays at 3:30 pm.
Students wishing to learn more about SUNY Sullivan and its programs are invited to attend two upcoming admissions events on campus: Health and Social Sciences Day on Saturday, April 30, from 12:30–2:45 pm, and Discover SUNY Sullivan Day on Saturday May 7 from 10 am–1 pm. For more information or to register, click on the links above, or send an email to admissions@sunysullivan.edu.
About SUNY Sullivan
SUNY Sullivan is the leader of innovative higher education and a catalyst for workforce development throughout the Sullivan Catskills and beyond. Our diverse community cultivates personal growth and professional advancement, preparing students for success in a sustainable and interconnected world. A forward-looking, top-tier community college in New York, SUNY Sullivan offers over 40 degree programs, certificates, and micro-credentials for learners at all levels of their educational goals. We value critical inquiry and creativity while supporting our students in a culture of inclusion and respect.