Enrollment gains across the State University of New York for the third consecutive year, including at the Fredonia campus, are being hailed by state leadership.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said the ongoing growth highlights successful results from her commitment to expand access to higher education, including historic increases in operating aid, expansion of financial aid, and support for programs like SUNY Reconnect, which provides free tuition, fees, books and supplies for adult learners ages 25 to 55 who don’t already have a college degree to attend community college in high-demand fields, and the expansion of ASAP, ACE, the nation’s leading college retention and completion initiatives. Since the launch of SUNY Reconnect in Fall 2025, more than 5,600 New Yorkers have enrolled in the program saving, on average, approximately $2,000 per year.

“Every New Yorker deserves the chance to build a better life through a quality education without breaking the bank, and that’s exactly what we’re delivering across New York State,” Hochul said. “SUNY campuses are welcoming more students for the third year in a row, showing that when we make higher education more accessible and affordable, we open the door to opportunity for everyone. With the success of SUNY Reconnect and the continued rise in community college enrollment, more New Yorkers are taking advantage of the chance to earn a world-class, affordable degree in fields that lead to good-paying, high-demand jobs and a brighter future.”

Year over year across all sectors, enrollment is up almost 3 percent (2.9 percent), and up 6.5 percent over the past three years. First-time first year enrollment is also up overall with an increase of 3.1 percent year over year, and up 8.5 percent over the past three years. Other results include:

— 5% enrollment increase at SUNY community colleges — driven by the Governor’s SUNY Reconnect initiative.

— 4.7% increase for transfer students.

— Overall enrollment gains across every SUNY sector for the third consecutive year — the first time this has happened since 2007-09.

— International enrollment saw a 3.9% overall reduction this fall — with international enrollment at the graduate level down 13.8%.

SUNY Fredonia enrollment was reported at 3,236, which was an increase of nearly 30 students from last spring.

“SUNY is on the move, and thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, more students are choosing to pursue an excellent and affordable education at the SUNY institution of their dreams,” SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. said. “We thank Governor Hochul and state leaders for the strong support they continue to show SUNY as we work to continue academic excellence, upward mobility, research innovation, and student support throughout the SUNY System.”

The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “Thanks to the support of Governor Hochul, leadership of Chancellor King, strong campus leaders, and remarkable faculty and staff, SUNY is continuing to build momentum and grow enrollment. Thank you to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for their continued investment and support for SUNY.”

Salamanca Man Who Attempted To Have Sex With 12-Year-Old Pleads Guilty

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced that Jack Sherlock, 56, of Salamanca pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to attempted enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that beginning on November 20, 2024, Sherlock began communicating on the internet with an undercover agent with the Department of Homeland Security posing as a 12-year-old girl. Between November 20 and December 4, 2024, Sherlock engaged in graphic sexual conversation with the person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. During some of these online chats, he requested that the 12-year-old girl send him sexually explicit photographs of herself. He also discussed meeting the 12-year-old girl in person to engage in sexual activity. On December 3, 2024, Sherlock asked the 12-year-old girl to meet him in person so that they could engage in sexual activity. He arranged a time and place to meet the next day at a store in Salamanca. However, when Sherlock arrived at the store the next day, he was arrested by law enforcement.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Salamanca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Jamie Deck, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 13, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.

The increase in community college enrollment is due, in part, to the thousands of adult learners utilizing Governor Hochul’s landmark SUNY Reconnect program. The program builds on Governor Hochul’s ongoing commitment to expand access to higher education, strengthen New York’s workforce, and provide pathways to good paying careers for adult learners.

Governor Hochul and the State Legislature have directed significant additional funding to public higher education over the last three years, including nearly $400 million in operating aid for SUNY State-operated campuses over that time period, a $75 million SUNY Transformation Fund, back-to-back operating aid increases for community colleges for the first time in decades, dedicated annual funding for ASAP, ACE, and ongoing support of New York’s longstanding Educational Opportunity Program.