The head of the State University of New York said Friday its community college campuses are ready for a program in the budget to cover the cost of tuition, fees and supplies for many New York adults pursuing a field in high demand. 

The final $254 billion budget passed last week earmarks $47 million for SUNY Reconnect — a program Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed at the start of the year to provide free tuition, fees, books and supplies for adults ages 25 to 55 who do not have a prior degree.

“The SUNY Reconnect program, launching for the Fall 2025 term, will help break barriers to a college degree and provide financial support and flexibility for adult students to enroll, and more importantly, to succeed through to graduation at one of our excellent community colleges," SUNY Chancellor John King said in a statement.

Community colleges will hold information sessions about the program this summer, and SUNY launched a website Friday to assist potential applicants.

Associate degree students must pursue an education in high-need areas to be eligible, including engineering, technology, nursing and health care, teaching, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.

The budget will allocate $28.2 million for SUNY and $18.8 million for CUNY campuses.

"A skilled and knowledgeable workforce is essential to New York state’s economic future," state Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said. "Offering free community college to adult learners will provide a gateway to new career opportunities in high-demand fields, and feed critical workforce pipelines."

About 4 million New York adults of working age do not have a college degree, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.