It's cheaper, simpler to go to college now in NH |
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By JOHN WHITSON MANCHESTER - The wall between community colleges and four-year degree programs continues to diminish. The state's two systems have worked together for several years, crafting complementary curriculum and signing agreements to ease student transfers. Yesterday, officials announced a three-year pilot program between the University of New Hampshire and Great Bay Community College will be expanded statewide. The “Connections Program” enables students originally not accepted at UNH, Plymouth State University and Keene State College to attend one of the state's community colleges or Granite State College and, if they meet certain standards, be automatically accepted into their original school of choice without having to reapply or pay a fee. “This effort represents a high level of coordination and cooperation between the state's two public systems of higher education and ultimately benefits the students through a simple, seamless and cost-free transfer between the systems,” said University System of New Hampshire Chancellor Stephen Reno. Each of the three USNH schools requires program participants take a minimum of 12 credits for two consecutive semesters, maintain a minimum 2.8 grade-point average and earn at least a 'C' in every course. (KSC's minimum GPA is set at 2.5.) “The single most important component of this program is taking fear of the unknown in transferring out of the equation,” said Barbara Wheatcraft, senior assistant director of admissions at UNH. Community colleges continue to serve a large population of students interested in career training or gaining an associate's degree. But increasingly, first-year students either enroll with a plan to day transfer into a USNH school or quickly develop that goal, said Charles Annal, vice chancellor of the state's community college system. “This program is a natural evolution of what we've been seeing over the last 10 years,” he said. Bruce Baker, a vice president at Great Bay Community College in Stratham, said the program has proven popular. In the program's first year, 14 students participated. That number grew to 26 in 2006 and 45 last year. “For me, the Connections Program has been a great stepping stone into UNH,” said Jake Hayward, a sophomore business major who transferred from Great Bay C.C. “It gave me a chance to show them I could get the grades that they were looking for in their students,” he said, “and allowed me to go to the school I've always wanted to attend.” “Thousands” of letters explaining the program will soon go out to students who didn't qualify for the USNH school of their choice, said Matt Cookson, USNH spokesman. Students who know they want a four-year degree can save thousands of dollars on the front end by attending a community college with a transfer guarantee, he said. “This program will make it easier for more New Hampshire citizens to earn a four-year college degree,” Gov. John Lynch said in a statement. |
