March 13, 2001
STATE SYSTEM UNIVERSITIES TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS TO OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRADUATES
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Outstanding graduates of Pennsylvania’s community colleges beginning this fall will have
the opportunity to receive free tuition to complete their bachelor’s degrees at any
of the 14 State System of Higher Education universities.
The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges and the State System today announced
a new two-year tuition scholarship program for community college students who make
the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team, as selected by Phi Theta Kappa, an international
honorary society for two-year colleges.
The team members will receive a Special Academic Passport, which will include a full
tuition scholarship for students who transfer to a State System university within
a year of having earned their associate degree. The scholarship will be renewable
for up to two years, subject to the student continuing to meet the requirements of
the scholarship award and of normal persistence toward graduation.
Students are selected to the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team on the basis of scholarship,
leadership and community service. This year 32 Phi Theta Kappa nominees received the special recognition, which is awarded
in conjunction with the Commission for Community Colleges. The students will be recognized
at a special awards program next month.
“Today, we celebrate another step forward in encouraging a seamless relationship between
community colleges and the State System universities,” said Community College Commission
President James J. Linksz. “This step is also directly related to Gov. Ridge’s commitment
to keeping the best Pennsylvania brains in the Commonwealth.”
Linksz, president of Bucks County Community College, said the Commission will continue
to work with the State System to strengthen the tenets of the Academic Passport, which
was created more than two years ago to help make it easier for community college graduate
to transfer to State System universities.
“We are excited about our continuing partnership with the community colleges,” said
State System Chancellor James H. McCormick. “This new scholarship program gives all
of us another opportunity to recognize the truly outstanding graduates from each of
these institutions.”
Students from each of Pennsylvania’s 15 community colleges are recognized each year
by Phi Theta Kappa, which participates with USA Today in a national project to name
the All-USA Academic Team.
“I have been struck by the high quality of students selected for the All-Pennsylvania
Academic Team award,” said Steven Curtis, president of the Community College of Philadelphia,
who worked with State System officials to develop the scholarship program. “I am confident
that our associate degree students who transfer to State System universities will
excel and contribute greatly to their universities.
“This is truly a winner for everyone involved. The students receive substantial scholarships
while the community colleges and the State System universities have an opportunity
to demonstrate the value of creating seamless higher education for Pennsylvanians.”
The State System’s Board of Governors approved the Academic Passport program in January
1999. It was designed not only to assure students who graduate with an associate degree
from a community college in Pennsylvania admission to a State System university, but
also to guarantee that most if not all of their credits will be accepted. The Passport seeks to ensure that students are able to complete their education without
unnecessary repetition of coursework that has already been successfully completed.
An Academic Passport, which assures the holder entry into a State System university,
is awarded to a student who earns either an associate of arts or associate of science
degree from a community college in Pennsylvania or who has earned at least 12 credits
at another System School.
In order to be eligible for a passport, a student must have a grade-point average
of at least 2.0. Community college students must have earned at least 30 of their credits in liberal
arts courses. System universities will accept up to 45 general education and liberal
arts credits from a student who has earned an associate degree. Remedial, developmental
or study skills courses will not transfer. Similarly, credits earned by taking occupational and vocational courses usually will
not be accepted when a student transfer.
“The Academic Passport provides for a smooth transition from the two-year community
colleges to our four-year universities,” said Mary W. Burger, State System vice chancellor
for academic policy, planning and assessment.
To receive the Special Academic Passport, which includes the full-tuition scholarship,
students must apply for other forms of financial assistance for which they may be
eligible, including grants from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
The scholarship will provide the amount of funds necessary to complete the tuition
requirement once other forms of assistance are applied.
The community colleges are Bucks County Community College, Butler County Community
College, Cambria County Area Community College, Community College of Allegheny County,
Community College of Beaver County, Community College of Philadelphia, Delaware County
Community College, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lehigh Carbon Community College,
Luzerne County Community College, Montgomery County Community College, Northampton
County Community College, Northwest Pennsylvania Technical Institute, Reading Area
Community College and Westmoreland County Community College.
With more than 96,000 students, the State System of Higher Education is the largest
provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than
120 areas of study. More than 360,000 System alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg,
Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery
Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The System also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney
and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg
and the University Center for Southwest Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh. The regional centers are part of the Educational Resources Group, which is responsible
for coordinating statewide programming.