UMass Amherst announces new efforts to recruit graduates of state's community colleges
The Boston Globe
March 23, 2011
University of Massachusetts Amherst, seeking to reach out to immigrants, low-income families, and first-generation college students, will announce today a new effort to recruit community college graduates to the state university’s flagship campus.
Starting this fall, UMass will offer students who transfer from Massachusetts community colleges with a minimum 2.5 grade-point average priority course registration and housing, scholarships to cover hefty student fees, and special advising services.
The university will make new efforts to publicize a little-known state policy guaranteeing admission to Massachusetts community college graduates in most academic programs who earned a 2.5 grade-point average, and waiving tuition for those with a 3.0.
UMass Amherst typically enrolls about 300 graduates from community colleges, which are two-year programs, each fall, and it hopes to increase that by 20 percent over the next five years.
“The way we’re going to build a better and stronger Commonwealth is to strengthen education and make it more accessible to every class, and to raise the expectations people have about their own education,’’ Governor Deval Patrick said in an interview yesterday. “It is important that the flagship take the leadership. We want to make it clear that this is about access to a whole range of university opportunities.’’
