TC3 in Dryden sees largest enrollment increase in more than a decade

Tompkins Cortland Community College has seen a significant increase in enrollment numbers.

Enrollment at TC3 is up 11% from last year, the largest increase that the college has had in more than a decade.

According to Peter Voorhees, TC3’s public information officer, the college’s enrollment increases reflect its core enrollment full-time equivalents (FTE). The FTE at TC3 is for non-high school concurrent enrollment students.

TC3’s FTE for the 2025 fall semester was 648.35, in contrast to 584.1 for the 2024 fall semester. Voorhees noted that TC3 uses the FTE method instead of a headcount due to how the college’s budget is structured.

Voorhees stated, however, that TC3’s enrollment headcount is 1,734 for fall 2025 versus 1,578 for fall 2024 — which is a 9.9% increase.

“New academic opportunities, changes to the enrollment process and revised onboarding practices all contributed to the increase in enrollment,” according to a release.

TC3 also credits new sources of financial support, including the SUNY Reconnect program, for the enrollment growth.

“There are many factors contributing to our historic increase, and the SUNY Reconnect program is certainly one of those positive factors,” said TC3 President Amy Kremenek. “We take great pride in being responsive to our students, and SUNY Reconnect is one of several programs we offer to ease the costs of attending college. This enrollment growth is evidence that more and more people are realizing the value of attending TC3 and taking advantage of the many opportunities available.”

The SUNY Reconnect program was created as part of the New York state budget. The program provides free enrollment in certain associate degree programs for New Yorkers who are between the ages of 25 and 55; SUNY Reconnect covers tuition, fees, books and supplies.

The degree programs included in  SUNY Reconnect are chemical dependency counseling, computer information systems, computer science, computer support specialist, construction and environmental technology, environmental studies, nursing, sustainable farming and food systems, teacher education transfer (adolescence, teacher education transfer), childhood and teacher education transfer (with early childhood programs).

Two hundred TC3 students are taking advantage of SUNY Reconnect this semester. The release added that more than half of the students are starting college for the first time this fall.

“It is well documented that earning an associate degree in these high-demand fields will greatly enhance career opportunities and earnings, and now New Yorkers will be able to get that degree at no cost,” Kremenek said. “This will greatly benefit not only the individuals that earn their degree and their families, but also New York state as a whole. We are very excited to remove the financial barrier to getting a degree for this group of students.”

According to a release, as the state leads the way with industries such as health care, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and green jobs, it is “vital that higher education supports those looking to enter these well-paying careers.”

“The free community college program targets fields that are in high demand, meaning participants will be getting skills that will make them highly employable immediately upon graduation,” said Robert Palmieri, TC3’s vice president for enrollment management. “Adult students often face a different set of challenges when pursuing a college degree, and not having to pay for tuition, fees or books addresses some of those challenges. Another key component of the SUNY Reconnect program is that it applies to both full-time and part-time students, which means students can take classes on the pace and schedule that best suits them. This program, coupled with all the other support services we offer at TC3, will help our adult students succeed, which will help our community thrive.”

Voorhees noted that the overall fall enrollment number is not final yet. This is due to some classes starting after the semester is underway.

The late-start classes began on Sept. 30, Voorhees said, while 7.5-week classes will start on Oct. 16. Five-week classes began on Sept. 30, with starting periods until Nov. 5.

For more information, go to tompkinscortland.edu.

In brief:

Book club meets Oct. 16

Books & Brew, a genre-based book club, will meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 16 at Hopshire Farm & Brewery at 1771 Dryden Rd. in the village of Freeville.

The theme for the month of October is “Dystopian Science Fiction.” Book suggestions are on display at Southworth Library in the village of Dryden.

For more information, go to southworthlibrary.org.

Mystery book club meets Oct. 7

Brewed for Suspense, a mystery book club in Dryden, meets at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7 at Brewer’s Kitchen & Taproom, 1384 Dryden Rd.

The public gathering will be a discussion of “Hidden Pictures” by Jason Rekulak.

For more information, go to southworthlibrary.org.

Upcoming Dryden BOE meetings

The Dryden Board of Education is scheduled to meet Oct. 14 and 27, with each meeting starting at 6 p.m.

The Oct. 14 meeting is at Dryden Elementary School, while the Oct. 27 meeting is at Freeville Elementary School.

The public is invited to attend. For more information, go to dryden.k12.ny.us.