By Holly Desrosier
Craven Community College (Craven CC) was one of 14 community colleges across Eastern NC to sign a co-admission agreement with East Carolina University (ECU) Tuesday, June 5. The agreement is designed to improve transfer student access and success through a collaborative degree completion program.
The co-admission partnership will allow students seeking admission to Craven CC to simultaneously apply to ECU. Participating students will be able to transfer directly to ECU after completing an associate degree program, making a bachelor’s degree more accessible and affordable.
“Our most fundamental goal is to make college attendance a far less daunting endeavor for these students who might not think that going to college is within their reach,” said Dr. Ron Mitchelson, ECU provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, in a news release. “In particular, we want these students to understand that the community college/university pathway is very cost effective and to ensure that the transfer from the community college to the university is relatively seamless.”
According to the Educational Advisory Board, completing the first two years of a four-year degree at a community college can save a student $43,000. Other student benefits from the agreement include increased access to ECU’s academic programs and support services, such as the university’s financial aid office and libraries, and waived transfer application fee.
The participating community colleges are Beaufort County Community College, Carteret Community College, College of the Albemarle, Craven Community College, Halifax Community College, Johnston Community College, Lenoir Community College, Martin Community College, Nash Community College, Pamlico Community College, Pitt Community College, Roanoke-Chowan Community College, Wayne Community College and Wilson Community College.
The new co-admission agreement is expected to go into effect this fall. ECU’s Chancellor, Dr. Cecil Staton, stated that it will greatly benefit all colleges involved and will help fulfill the region’s workforce demands.
“This is precisely the sort of collaboration we need to better serve the people of North Carolina and the East in particular,” Staton said in a news release. “We cannot be successful and continue to produce capable and engaged citizens who will go out across the communities of this state and make a difference if we don’t have a vital partnership with our community college system.”
For more information about the ECU degree completion program, contact Nathan Stout, Craven CC academic advisor, at 252-638-5289.
Anyone interested in applying to Craven CC can fill out an application at www.cravencc.edu, call 252-638-7200 or speak to an advisor on the New Bern or Havelock campus.