Attention future, current UCONN students

Earlier this week, the University of Connecticut’s Board of Trustees made a decision to close the University of Connecticut Torrington campus.  When the campus closes, what will happen to the 150 or so students there?  What will our future students in the Northwest Corner do without a viable path to a four-year degree?

For many years, the Connecticut Community Colleges, including Northwestern Connecticut Community College (NCCC), have provided an excellent and affordable way for students to go to UCONN through the Guaranteed Admissions Program (GAP). Students begin at Northwestern, either full or part-time in the Liberal Arts and Sciences A.S. degree, and then apply within their first 30 credits to the UCONN GAP program. Students must also complete their Associate’s degree at NCCC.

Students who are enrolled in GAP can apply to the university for dual advisement, ensuring that they take all of the appropriate courses at NCCC, and then transfer into either the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Agriculture and Natural Resources or the School of Business. Students who meet the entry GPA requirement (around a B average), are guaranteed acceptance to UCONN Storrs as a junior. 

Also available to NCCC/UCONN Guaranteed Admissions Program Participants are merit-based scholarships (renewable for two years — four semesters; valued at a fixed amount determined on a yearly basis). All Connecticut Community College students who are participants of GAP, meet the criteria specific to their desired majors and have earned an associate degree in a liberal arts transfer program will be considered for the President to President Scholarship. Students must be nominated by their community college GAP advisors, and approved by their respective community college president to qualify. Full-time enrollment at UCONN is required of President to President Scholarship recipients.

This is a wonderful way to get to UCONN and earn your bachelor’s degree from there while also saving money on tuition, room and board.

For students who don’t want to leave the northwest hills region, there is another alternative — completing their bachelor’s degree online at Charter Oak State College. For many years, NCCC and Charter Oak have had a similar agreement to GAP in place. Students can earn an associate’s degree at Northwestern Connecticut Community College using both on ground and online courses, and then finish their bachelor’s degree online with Charter Oak State College.

Both degrees can be completed without leaving your home town; both provide in-state tuition; both reduce commuting time; both colleges offer workforce driven programs; and both provide quality academic programs.

If you are interested in learning more about either of these opportunities, please contact Joanne Nardi, director of enrollment management at Northwestern Connecticut Community College, at 860-738-6330 or admissions@nwcc.commnet.edu.

Michael Rooke is the president of Northwestern Connecticut Community College.