About 125,000 New York high school students will receive a letter notifying them they've been automatically accepted to the State University of New York's community college programs, the state's governor announced Thursday.

The move is part of an effort to eliminate barriers toward higher education, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office said in a news release.

"Access to quality higher education is an engine for social mobility and we are taking comprehensive steps to ensure that college is affordable and accessible for students from all backgrounds," Hochul said in a statement.

SUNY will send letters "in the coming days" to graduating students in the state who are outside of New York City confirming their acceptance at a local community college, the release said.

The SUNY program covers all state high school students but does not include students within New York City.

The City University of New York recently announced its own plans to partner with the city's public school system and send letters to 65,000 graduating seniors, welcoming them to CUNY, laying out their college options there and inviting them to apply, the governor's release said.

"More than 80% of CUNY freshmen come from New York City public schools and we want to make the transition as smooth as possible," CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez said in a statement. "That means connecting students before they start at one of our campuses. CUNY is sending seniors and their families the tools they need to find the right program at the right price."

"This partnership will increase the number of seniors going to college, enhance New York's workforce and help end systemic inequities," the chancellor added.