Say Yes and OCC Team Up to Help Students with College Housing Costs

A new agreement between Say Yes Syracuse and Onondaga Community College will help Syracuse City School District graduates who attend OCC with their housing costs. The new Preferred Partners Program will provide students with the following benefits:

• Say Yes Scholars will receive up to $2,500 in housing assistance per semester. $1,500 will come from the Say Yes Opportunity Grant, $1,000 will come from the OCC Housing Development Corporation. The current cost for a student to live in OCC's residence halls if $3,215 per semester.
• To qualify, Say Yes Scholars must live on campus, be eligible for the Say Yes Opportunity Grant, be designated a full-time student, and have need not covered by any other funding.
• Say Yes Scholars students who make satisfactory academic progress and remain in good disciplinary standing will be eligible for the Preferred Partners Program for up to four consecutive semesters.

The Preferred Partners Program is the product of an agreement between the Say Yes Opportunity grant and OCC's Housing Development Corporation.

All Say Yes Scholars who attend colleges in the SUNY system have their tuition guaranteed through a private local endowment held and managed by the Central New York Community Foundation called the SYTE Scholarship Fund. It guarantees tuition through a last dollar calculation in which State and Federal aid are applied toward tuition. The remaining balance is covered by the SYTE Scholarship Fund. OCC is a SUNY school.

"Onondaga Community College has always been a tremendous partner with Say Yes Syracuse. We know that by 2027, 70 percent of all jobs will require some education beyond high school. This new partnership will make attendance at a local institution of higher learning even more affordable for the students in greatest financial need, setting them up for future success," said Ahmeed Turner, Say Yes Syracuse Executive Director.

"We are so grateful to Ahmeed Turner and his team at Say Yes for their collaboration with us which will help students enjoy the full college experience. Between our clubs and organizations, activities, and athletics teams, we have a vibrant campus atmosphere to offer students. This agreement will help make living on campus an even more affordable option, and help students become valuable members of our campus community while they explore educational and career options," said OCC President Dr. Warren Hilton.