SUNY Reconnect

No. Students interested in Reconnect will just complete the regular Admissions application at www.sunywcc.edu/apply. Students who are potentially eligible for Reconnect based on their self-reported application data will automatically be flagged in PeopleSoft with a ‘Potential Reconnect’ service indicator. The ‘Potential Reconnect’ service indicator will identify students based on their self-reported responses to four questions on their Admissions application: program of study, prior college degree, New York State resident for at least 1 year, and age. The ‘Potential Reconnect’ service indicators will apply to potentially eligible students who have applied within the last 7 years. The potential service indicators will update approximately once a day and will come on or off based on information that may change (ie. being in an eligible major).

No. However, any student (Reconnect or not) who asks about a waiver for the $50 application fee should be instructed to email [email protected] for assistance.

The Financial Aid Office will determine/verify which potentially eligible students are actually eligible for Reconnect, and will post the Reconnect award as part of the eligible student’s financial aid package on their MyWCC account. To find out if they received Reconnect funding, students should log on to their MyWCC account, click on ‘Student Self-Service Center’ and then click on the ‘Financial Aid’ tile and the appropriate aid year to view their financial aid package.

In general, yes, students are also required to apply for FAFSA. There are two exceptions:

1. Students who are eligible to complete FAFSA, but have specific concerns about doing so because they are from a mixed-immigration status family. In that case, they are permitted to complete the Alternate Eligibility Path through HESC as an alternative to FAFSA: Alternate Eligibility Path | HESC
2. Eligible undocumented students, who will follow the process detailed in the question below and will only complete the NYS Dream Act application.

Yes.

They are eligible IF they qualify for the resident tuition rate per the College’s regular process. In order to be eligible for the resident tuition rate, an undocumented or out of status student would either need to have graduated from high school in New York and have attended that high school for at least 2 years or earned their HSE/GED diploma in New York AND have applied to the College within 5 years of graduating or earning their HSE/GED diploma. If they have not already done so, they would need to go to the Bursar’s Office to request an affidavit that states they will regularize their status as soon as possible; they must have their affidavit notarized and return it to the Bursar’s Office, at which point they must also show their relevant proof of high school graduation. Undocumented students also must apply for the NYS Dream Act at www.hesc.ny/dream in order to be eligible for Reconnect.

No. There is no upper income limit for Reconnect. Since it is a last dollar scholarship, eligible students must first apply for TAP (or the NYS Dream Act) and Excelsior (if eligible). Students also must apply for FAFSA unless they meet one of the exceptions in the question above. If the student is eligible to receive any funding from these programs, it will be applied first. If the student is not eligible to receive any funding these programs, the student will be covered fully by Reconnect – regardless of income – if they are otherwise eligible.

No. F-1 International Students are not eligible for any type of federal or state aid, though they may apply for Foundation Scholarships through the College by completing the International Student Scholarship application form on the Scholarship website. Please note this also applies to students on other temporary non-immigrant visas (J-1, etc.) as well as undocumented or out of status students who do not qualify for the resident tuition rate per the process detailed above.

Yes. Financial Aid is currently working on a way to identify students who are eligible for Reconnect but NOT eligible for Excelsior so that these students can automatically be packaged (including Reconnect funding) without having to apply for Excelsior.

Yes, they are still eligible if they were 55 years old on January 1st of the calendar year when they will begin studying. If they meet this requirement, it does not matter if they are 56 by the start of their first semester that calendar year.

Yes, but only if they live in a county in New York other than Westchester County (and otherwise meet the requirements for in-state tuition). For county-specific instructions on how to get a Certificate of Residency, please visit www.sunywcc.edu/bursar and go to the ‘Certificate of Residency’ section. Once the student gets the Certificate from their home county, it should be emailed to [email protected].

Students who express an interest in Radiologic Technology and Respiratory Care on their admissions application are initially placed into the Health Studies A.S. program, which IS currently an eligible academic program for Reconnect (please note this does not guarantee actual admission into either program- regular process for each competitive program must be followed per instructions on academic program page). Students who express an interest in Nursing are initially placed into the Liberal Arts: Math and Science/Health Science program, which IS NOT currently an eligible program for SUNY Reconnect.

The list of our programs that are currently eligible for Reconnect is available here. A list of additional academic programs for consideration has been submitted by the College to SUNY. In the event that any of these programs are approved, they will be added to the list of approved programs on the site above.

No. The 10 semesters start when the student is first accepted into Reconnect. Previous semester completed prior to acceptance into Reconnect do not count toward the 10-semester limit.

This means that students will be eligible unless they have been academically dismissed. Students on academic probation or academic restriction are eligible. Federal and/or NY State Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards do not apply.

Yes.

Yes. They will need to contact the Bursar’s Office to have the hold removed so they can register. While they will be able to register, the previous balance will remain and is still the student’s responsibility.

Students will be automatically opted into the Viking Book Bundle for the Fall 2025 semester. Reconnect students are highly encouraged to remain enrolled in the Viking Book Bundle so they will have access to their books and course materials by the start of classes. The process of how supplies that are not covered through the Viking Book Bundle will be covered is still being determined.