Adults in Bronxville, Scarsdale and Eastchester who never finished college can earn an associate degree at no cost through SUNY Reconnect at Westchester Community College in Valhalla.
The program covers tuition, fees, books and supplies for New York residents ages 25 to 55 who do not hold a college degree. No GPA is required. Students can attend part-time with as few as six credits per semester, a flexibility that Nicola Glass, SUNY Reconnect program specialist at SUNY Westchester, said reflects the reality that most participants are working or balancing family obligations.
SUNY Westchester enrolled nearly 500 adult learners in the program's first semester last fall. Statewide, more than 12,000 students have signed up since the initiative launched in fall 2025. Governor Kathy Hochul expanded the program in the 2026–27 budget to include nursing students who already hold a degree in another field.
Eligible fields at SUNY Westchester include cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, nursing, green energy, advanced manufacturing and pathways to teaching. Health studies is the most popular track, serving as a prerequisite for nursing, radiology and respiratory care programs.
New-student orientation is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8 and Tuesday, Aug. 11 at the Valhalla campus, roughly 10 miles from Bronxville and Scarsdale. Fall 2026 classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 2.
Digital equity: free Chromebooks and tech training
A separate county-funded initiative, Connect Westchester, provides free Chromebooks, internet guidance and hands-on digital skills training to income-qualifying residents. Led by The STEM Alliance and the Westchester County Association, the program has distributed more than 1,300 devices and trained over 1,100 people since launching in August 2020.
Margaret Käufer, president of The STEM Alliance, said the program focuses on workforce-age residents facing financial hardship, including people returning from incarceration and those in unstable housing. More than 50,000 Westchester households lack reliable high-speed internet, according to the Westchester County Association.
Residents start with a consultation with a trained digital navigator who assesses eligibility and needs.
College access for high school students
Two nonprofits serve Westchester high schoolers navigating the path to college:
Latino U College Access (LUCA), based in White Plains, is assisting 120 students this year through personal mentorship for juniors and seniors. LUCA partners formally with eight high schools — Bedford, Elmsford, New Rochelle, Ossining, Peekskill, Port Chester, Sleepy Hollow and Fox Lane — but accepts applications from students countywide, including those in Bronxville, Scarsdale and Eastchester.
"One of our graduates has been promoted to a vice president position at Morgan Stanley, one is now a data engineer at Pepsi, and one senior has already been offered a job at Microsoft," CEO Faith Ann Butcher told 914inc.com. The organization's goal is to help students graduate with little or no debt.
Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE) reaches more than 2,000 students annually through mentorship, college access and career programs. Its Career Connections program, launched in fall 2025, has matched students with Con Edison, Webster Bank and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
Upcoming dates
- Saturday, Aug. 8 and Tuesday, Aug. 11: SUNY Westchester new-student orientation, Valhalla campus
- Wednesday, Sept. 2: Fall 2026 classes begin at SUNY Westchester; apply at sunywcc.edu
- Connect Westchester: Schedule a digital navigator consultation at thestemalliance.org/connect-westchester
