SUNY Offers Free Online College Prep Programs

NEW YORK — The State University of New York is offering New Yorkers a way to prepare for and be accepted to college.

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced Friday the launch of SUNY's free Online Training Center to give residents of the state a gateway to college with high school equivalency, college prep and employment certification programs.

Students who complete any one of the Online Training Center certificates with a high school diploma or high school equivalency credential will be automatically accepted to any of SUNY's 30 community colleges or SUNY Empire State College, state officials said, and the application fee is also waived.

Malatras said SUNY is providing opportunities to help more New Yorkers prepare for jobs across the state that will continue to require some post-secondary education.

"And we know far too many need a college degree to succeed," he said in a prepared statement.

"SUNY is designing a path to higher education that is free and accessible through remote learning and virtual support that make the first step to higher education easy, whether you are a recent high school graduate, a working parent, a veteran or a mid-career professional looking for a new career," Malatras said.

Eligible students must be a New York resident from a low- or moderate-income household, without a post-secondary degree, who may be unemployed or recently laid off, SUNY officials said.

SUNY's free Online Training Center includes the following programs:

College Preparation Certification

• High School Equivalency
• College Preparation
• English As a Second Language

Allied Health Certification

• Professional Medical Coder & Biller
• Pharmacy Technician
• Emergency Medical Technician
• Electronic Health Records
• Physical Therapy Aide
• Certified Nurse Assistant (excluding clinical hours)
• Home Health Aide

Business & Industry Certification

• Emergency Telecommunications
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Office Administration Professional
• Customer Service
• Teacher Assistant
• Security Guard
• OSHA 30 & 40

Small Business Certification

• Entreskills
• Business Advisement, Webinar Business Trainings

For more information, to register or to attend a virtual informational session, go here.

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