The Daily Bulletin Archive

Buffalo State College is home to one of the leading higher education sites for Buffalo’s Say Yes to Education program, which provides college tuition for graduates of the Buffalo Public Schools and the city’s charter schools.

The college’s Say Yes program was moved to the Academic Success area during the 2017 Academic Affairs reorganization and, as a result, the program has been evolving to better serve our Say Yes students. This year, the program has developed a relationship with our Admissions Office to combine recruitment efforts, has enhanced its data collection and reporting abilities to improve student support, and has developed a website for the Say Yes SUNY Buffalo State program.

Buffalo State’s Say Yes program goes far beyond a scholarship package. The core components of our Say Yes program are the Say Yes Summer Success Academy, one-to-one academic and transitional support from the Say Yes coordinator, SMART goal planning, individual academic action plans for students with cumulative GPAs under 2.4, advocacy in managing college processes (e.g., registration; navigating financial aid requirements; referrals as needed to college counseling, student accessibility services, health services), and assistance with postcollegiate employment planning and skill development.

A distinctive feature of the college’s program is the Say Yes Summer Academy, which is an optional summer bridge program for incoming Say Yes freshmen. Buffalo’s Say Yes to Education provides grant money to support up to 50 incoming Say Yes freshmen to attend the Summer Academy. The academy runs for five week and includes two 3-credit courses, daily seminars, team building, community service, and student mentoring.

Our Say Yes program currently supports over 500 students at Buffalo State, and we are looking forward to celebrating nearly 100 Say Yes students’ graduation this May.

To learn more about the Say Yes program or to become involved, please contact Stanley Simmons, Say Yes coordinator.