Beginning this autumn, students attending Reading Area Community College (RACC) can transfer academic credits directly to Elizabethtown College via a dual admission agreement between the two institutions.
The agreement was signed Tuesday, May 22, in the Yocum Library at RACC by Carl J. Strikwerda, Elizabethtown College president; Betty Rider, Elizabethtown College senior vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty; Anna Weitz, RACC president, and Susan Looney, RACC senior vice president of academic affairs/provost.
“Elizabethtown College is committed to helping community college students complete their degrees by making transfer to the College as smooth as possible,” said E-town President Strikwerda. “Only by helping more community college students earn four year degrees can our society produce the number of college graduates that we need for the future.”
Under the agreement, RACC students may apply for admission as early as their senior year of high school but no later than the completion of 30 college-level credits in a transfer program offered through RACC. In accordance with the Elizabethtown College policy concerning transfer applicants, up to 64 credits of college course work will be accepted in transfer.
“A dual admission agreement with Elizabethtown College provides our growing population of recent high school students who have chosen RACC for their associate degree, with an accessible and clear pathway to their baccalaureate degree,” said RACC’s President Weitz. “Both schools are equally passionate about student success, making this partnership a good match for our students.”
The partnership also provides a seamless enrollment process, moving students from an associate degree program at RACC and giving them access to academic, career and financial-aid advising at E-town. Dual admission students also will have access to resources through Elizabethtown College’s High Library and other on-campus facilities and events. The Office of Admissions will provide RACC students with regular updates concerning on-campus events and other academic programs.
“The partnership between RACC and E-town is a great opportunity for students to complete a bachelor’s degree in a wide variety of desirable majors,” said Rider of Elizabethtown. “These include health professions, engineering, computer and data science, finance, marketing, psychology, social work and many others that will support fruitful careers and satisfying lives. ”
Students accepted under the dual admission agreement also qualify to enroll in courses at E-town that are not offered at RACC but are required for completion of the Elizabethtown College bachelor’s degree. Tuition charges for up to two of these courses will be waived.
Each institution will designate a representative who will coordinate the dual admission program between the two institutions, and students will be provided with financial aid information for both institutions.
George Walter, interim vice president for enrollment management at Elizabethtown College said the College is committed to providing students with financial support to help them meet the cost of education, regardless of their financial circumstances.
In the 2017-2018 academic year, more than 20 percent of students enrolled at E-town were Pell Grant recipients, with more than 90 percent of all students receiving grants and scholarships from Elizabethtown College, totaling more than $39 million dollars. On average, the most recently admitted student group saw their total E-town grant and scholarships reduce their tuition expense by nearly 60 percent.