WARWICK – The Community College of Rhode Island is offering high school seniors graduating from Catholic high schools an opportunity to complete two years of study at an affordable institution of higher learning while on their way to a four-year degree.
No loss of credits, smooth transfer to Rhode Island College or the University of Rhode Island, and up to a 30 percent tuition reduction, based on G.P.A., for the last two years of college. It’s a deal that’s difficult to beat.
Catholic high schools in Rhode Island are partnering with CCRI to make students and parents aware of an instate program called the “Joint Admissions Agreement” that allows students to choose general education classes at CCRI which dovetail with classes at state-sponsored four-year colleges so that students can transfer in their junior year and seamlessly continue their education with tremendous overall financial savings.
Jonathan Hanson is a graduate of Bishop Hendricken High School, Warwick, who plans to finish his associate’s degree at CCRI in May. Upon his graduation from Hendricken in 2006, Hanson was accepted at several four-year colleges that included Plymouth State University, Canisius College and American International College.
Like many high school graduates, Hanson said, “I wasn’t sure of the profession I would choose for the rest of my life.” So, instead of choosing a four-year college, he chose CCRI. At the community college he had the opportunity to take all the necessary general education courses he would need for any college or university, and also took advantage of some elective courses in law enforcement and business. Hanson has now decided to pursue a degree in business and will transfer to the University of Rhode Island.
Hanson mentioned the smaller class sizes at CCRI and the opportunity to talk to advisors from the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College as ways in which the Joint Admissions Agreement works well for students.
CCRI President, Ray DiPasquale, said that he is excited to initiate this collaboration between his college and diocesan schools because Catholic high school students tend to be “serious with aspirations to go on to college.” The Catholic high schools that will participate in the information night at Hendricken High School are: Bishop Keough High School, La Salle Academy, Mount St. Charles Academy, Our Lady of Fatima High School, Portsmouth Abbey High School, St. Raphael Academy, St. Mary Academy – Bay View and The Prout School. On March 4 students attending the CCRI event will have the opportunity to take advantage of priority admissions that will allow qualified students to submit an application that night or by March 11 and receive an acceptance packet by March 24.
President DiPasquale says that while the Joint Admissions Agreement has been in place for five years, the number of students participating in the program has grown significantly in the past year and now has 720 students enrolled. Under this program students who receive their associate’s degree at CCRI are automatically accepted at RIC or URI to earn their bachelor’s degree. The college president attributes the record enrollment at CCRI for this spring and next fall to “the affordability, quality of education, and the ability for students to go on to good jobs or continue at the four-year college of their choice.” President DiPasquale is proud that his students “can get into any school in the country” and often on scholarships. He says his students are recruited by four-year institutions because they have a “proven record” of their scholastic abilities.
A quick comparison of yearly in-state tuitions illustrates the need for an affordable alternative. Full-time student tuition and fees at Rhode Island College costs $6,170 per year. At the University of Rhode Island the full-time student tuition and fees jump to $9,973. By contrast the Community College of Rhode Island’s yearly tuition and fees of $3,290 seem like a bargain.
The Community College of Rhode Island has four locations throughout the state: the Knight Campus in Warwick, the Flanagan Campus in Lincoln, the Liston Campus in Providence, and the Newport County Campus in Newport. There are also two satellite campuses that offer night classes; the Downcity Campus in Providence and the Westerly Campus. The variety of locations make it possible for students to commute from home, thereby providing further savings for families who would otherwise be paying for residential fees.
Bishop Hendricken High School, 2615 Warwick Avenue, Warwick, will host an information night at the school on March 4 at 7 p.m. It sponsored by the Community College of Rhode Island and is entitled “Consider the Community College of Rhode Island: Change your life. Achieve your dreams.” The event is open to all Catholic high school juniors, seniors and their parents. Those who attend will also receive information about CCRI’s programs, faculty, tuition and fees and financial aid.
