New York state lawmakers have partnered with Buffalo's SUNY schools to help close the opportunity gap for students.

Buffalo State University, the University at Buffalo and SUNY Erie are each involved in the Advancing Completion Through Engagement and Advancing Success in Associate Pathways programs.

They provide more than 500 local college students with everything from funding for textbooks and groceries to academic assistance and career development activities. 

"The preliminary data from our ASAP|ACE expansion is extremely promising, pointing toward improved outcomes for the over 4,200 students enrolled," said SUNY Chancellor John B. King. "ASAP and ACE are the nation’s leading, evidence-based strategies to improve retention and completion by addressing the academic, financial, and wraparound needs of students. We are grateful for the leadership of Governor Hochul and support of the legislature in providing the SUNY Transformation Fund that made it possible for 25 SUNY campuses to scale this vital program."

"Gov. Kathy Hochul and our legislative champions have helped pave the way for thousands of students to succeed with the support of SUNY over every step of their academic journey," the SUNY Board of Trustees said. "ASAP and ACE have been proven to remove barriers to higher education success, and we are already seeing that in the early results around credit completion and retention across SUNY’s campuses."

While the ACE and ASAP programs were previously only available in the CUNY collegiate program, officials say they've managed to enroll 4,200 students statewide in those programs for the fall semester.