Herkimer College Announces Continuation of Highly Successful Student Retention Graduation Support Program: ASAP

From Left: Dylan Lyle, Arianna Kush, Rachael Defraine, Abeni Oliva, Brenda Carney, Jennifer Bashant, Alesha Bowman, Eric Mack, Sidney Gillogly, Taylor Galloway

Herkimer County Community College leaders today announced the continuation of Advancing Success in Associate Pathways (ASAP) at Herkimer College. This means that 150 students at Herkimer College will receive important resources to help them gain and maintain academic momentum, enabling them to graduate on time.

“Everything we do at Herkimer, from academics to residence life to support services, is designed to give students the tools, resources, and confidence to succeed. That’s why ASAP is so powerful. It’s meaningful by design,” said President Terri Grates Day. “This program doesn’t just offer advising and financial support; it gives students a true sense of belonging, a connection that helps them persist, grow, and reach their goals. Students are thriving, families are benefiting, and our region is stronger because of it.”

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said, “SUNY is committed to the success of every student, and our expansion of the proven ASAP and ACE programs across our system ensures our students are on track to complete their degree on time and pursue their aspirations. I applaud Governor Hochul and state leaders for their continued support of SUNY, and I thank the Herkimer County Community College administration, faculty, and staff for their unwavering commitment to student success.”

ASAP supports students pursuing associate degrees, while Advancing Completion through Engagement (ACE) supports baccalaureate students. Eligible students have access to a wide array of resources and support to help them overcome barriers that can prevent them from obtaining a degree. This includes funding to cover textbooks, groceries, transportation, and other costs of attendance, as well as comprehensive personalized advisement, academic support, and career development activities.

In the 2025-26 State Budget, Governor Hochul and state leaders allocated $12 million for SUNY to expand this initiative, which will help Herkimer College to support more students as they pursue a degree to help them unleash their full potential. The significant investment by Governor Hochul and state leaders will help grow ASAP|ACE enrollment statewide to an anticipated 7,000 students this year, on track to enroll 10,000 students for Fall 2026.

Individualized supports delivered through ASAP are critical for students like Joeseph Congdon, a Computer Science student who participated in the first year of the program and graduated in May 2025. Congdon benefited from the networking that ultimately resulted in an internship.

"The opportunities that the ASAP program gave me here on campus were second to none, and without ASAP, I wouldn't have been able to thrive as much as I have," said Congdon.

According to Herkimer College Director of ASAP Alesha Bowman, during the Spring 2025 semester alone, ASAP scholars recorded more than 800 advising touchpoints and logged over 380 visits to the Academic Support Center for tutoring, coaching, and computer use. From Herkimer’s first cohort of ASAP students that started in the Fall of 2024, approximately 40 percent are on track to graduate by this fall. Bowman said, “Our scholars are not only persisting, but they’re also thriving on campus and in the community."

For more information about SUNY’s ASAP|ACE: https://www.suny.edu/asap-ace/. To learn more about ASAP at Herkimer College: http://www.herkimer.edu/asap or contact Brenda Carney at carneybm@herkimer.edu or 315.866.0300 x8713.