Suffolk County Community College Hosts Spring Open House Across All Four Campuses

At $6,630 in tuition and fees for the 2024-2025 academic year, Suffolk County Community College costs a fraction of most four-year alternatives, and the college distributes more than $45 million in federal and state financial aid annually to more than 14,000 of its students. For families working through that math, the college will host its Spring Open House on Sunday, April 19, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at all four of its sites simultaneously.

The event runs at the Ammerman Campus in Selden, the Michael J. Grant Campus in Brentwood, the Eastern Campus in Riverhead, and the college's dedicated Culinary Arts Center. Faculty, admissions staff, financial aid counselors, and current students will be available across all locations to walk prospective students through the more than 70 degree programs and 30 certificate programs in the catalog, along with campus tours throughout the two-hour window.

About one in three enrolled students already receives a grant or scholarship, with an average aid package of $5,812, and the Suffolk Community College Foundation awards additional scholarship dollars on top of state and federal aid. For a Suffolk County resident living off campus, the total estimated cost of attendance, including living expenses, runs approximately $22,223 for the year. Admissions staff at in-person events can also provide application-fee waivers for qualifying students.

Three questions worth raising with an advisor on April 19: which four-year schools accept SCCC credits through joint admission or articulation agreements; what Foundation scholarships are available beyond the standard FAFSA; and what clinical or licensing prerequisites apply to allied health tracks, or what the entry requirements are for the aviation program housed at Brookhaven Airport.

That aviation program and the marine science facilities on Great River are among SCCC's most distinctive offerings in the SUNY system. The Culinary Arts Center's role as a fourth open-house venue reflects the program's standalone infrastructure and direct pipeline into the region's hospitality and restaurant industries.

Christine Malafi, who graduated from SCCC in 1986, went on to serve eight years as Suffolk County Attorney before becoming a senior partner at Campolo, Middleton and McCormick, a prominent Long Island law firm. Her path from Selden to a senior county post and then private practice is representative of the roughly 115,000 graduates SCCC has produced since its founding class of 42 received associate degrees in June 1962.

The largest community college in the entire SUNY system, SCCC enrolled 20,053 students in 2023-2024, more than half of them part-time, a split that reflects the college's role serving working adults and career-changers across the county. Enrollment is 33.4% below its 2010-2011 peak but has grown approximately 2% in each of the past two years.

The Ammerman Campus spans 156 wooded acres in Selden with more than 13,000 students, making it the largest of the three main campuses. The Grant Campus in Brentwood covers 207 acres and 15 academic, administrative, and auxiliary buildings. The Eastern Campus carries a Riverhead mailing address but sits in the hamlet of Northampton, Town of Southampton. SCCC also runs satellite centers in Sayville and downtown Riverhead.

Attendees should bring a high school transcript or GED documentation, a state ID, and a prepared list of questions about program prerequisites and transfer options. Registration and campus-specific details are available on the college's open house page at sunysuffolk.edu/openhouse.