Cost

SUNY Orange BRIDGES – Cost & Program Information

The following information describes the costs associated with each of the BRIDGES Program’s on the Middletown and Newburgh Campuses: Students have a choice in the number of classes  transition or community classes.

*New this Academic Year 25/26, BRIDGES has redesigned payment options that may assist with tuition payments. For students utilizing their approved self-direction IDGS funds, you will need to get prior approval for classes chosen by your FI agency. The funding rules for each class type (transition and/or community class) will be different this year and your tuition invoice will reflect these allowable costs.

Student Choice & Class Structure
The BRIDGES program is explicitly structured to be à la carte. Students have full discretion in designing their schedule:

• Students may enroll part-time or full-time.
• Students may select any number or combination of classes each semester.
• Lab components are optional, not required.
• Students are not required to follow a predetermined sequence of classes.

This flexibility ensures each student’s schedule aligns with their individual goals, interests, and valued outcomes.

Traditional Program – Middletown

• Offers up to 8 classes each semester (6 standard classes and 2 optional labs).
• Standard classes: $1,257.17 each
• Lab components: $353.50 each
• Students may choose any combination of classes.
  
  

Funding & Payment Options:

• Community Classes will be funded through the Community Classes line of a student’s Self-Direction budget. (See course descriptions under Middletown Traditional Program.)
  
  
• Transition Classes will be funded through the Transition line of a student’s Self-Direction budget. (See Transition course descriptions under Middletown Traditional Program.)
  
  
• If a student exceeds the $800/month cap for Transition programming, additional costs are the responsibility of the student/family.
  
  
• Financial aid (Pell, work study) must be applied first before Self-Direction funding is utilized, since Medicaid is the payer of last resort.
  
  
• Self-pay and payment plans are available.
  
  

Audit Classes:
Students may also audit SUNY Orange courses for inclusion. Audit costs follow SUNY’s published rates. Click here to view SUNY Orange’s official audit fees:

https://catalog.sunyorange.edu/current/registration/index.html 
(Under "Course Policies and Procedures")

Hybrid Program

Students in the Hybrid program take BRIDGES classes along with SUNY Orange credit courses.

• BRIDGES classes: $1,257.17 (standard) / $353.50 (lab) – funded as Community Classes under Self-Direction.
  
  
• College credit courses: charged at SUNY Orange’s published tuition rate of $249.50 per credit. These cannot be funded through Community Class or Transition lines.
  
  

Funding & Payment Options:

• Financial aid (Pell, TAP, work study) and ACCESS-VR must be used first, before Self-Direction.
  
  
• Self-pay and payment plans available.
  
  
• OPWDD Self-Direction funding: Community Class line only (for BRIDGES classes).
  
  

Traditional Program – Newburgh

• Offers up to 9 classes each semester.
• Each class: $916.67.
• Students may choose part-time or full-time schedules.
  
  

Funding & Payment Options:

• Community Classes line of Self-Direction budget.
• Transition line of Self-Direction budget (where applicable).
• Self-pay only (federal financial aid is not applicable at this site).
  
  

Audit Classes:
Students may audit SUNY Orange courses for inclusion alongside neurotypical peers. Costs follow SUNY’s published audit fee structure. Click here to view SUNY Orange’s official audit fees:

https://catalog.sunyorange.edu/current/registration/index.html 
(Under "Course Policies and Procedures")

General Notes

• Transition Program Billing: BRIDGES Transition programming is billed monthly (August–December = 5 months per semester). Per-class costs listed are for transparency only.
  
  
• Documentation for Reimbursement: Families must submit the student’s current schedule and billing when invoicing through their FI. This ensures expenses are consistent with OPWDD guidelines, published costs, and financial aid requirements.
  
  

Please note that the BRIDGES program aligns with the college policy for tuition refunds. This information can be found on the college website. Here is a link directly to the tuition refund policy page: https://sunyorange.edu/studentaccounts/refunds/tuition_refund_policy.html