Students seeking admission to one of the 14 community colleges throughout the region can simultaneously apply to East Carolina University, starting this fall.
On Tuesday, the university and nearby community colleges signed a co-admission agreement, which will allow participating students to transfer directly to ECU after they complete an associate's degree at one of the colleges.
The agreement would also increase participating students' access to ECU's academic programs and support services, including the university library and its financial aid office.
ECU officials say the college-university path will make a bachelor's degree more affordable for many residents throughout the region.
“Our most fundamental goal is to make college attendance a far less daunting endeavor for these students who might not think that going to college is within their reach,” said Ron Mitchelson, ECU provost, in a news release.
A national report from the Education Advisory Board shows a student who competes the first two years of a four-year degree at community college can save on average about $43,000.
ECU's Chancellor Cecil Staton says the co-admission partnership will help sastisfy the region's workforce demand.
"This is precisely the sort of collaboration we need to better serve the people of North Carolina and the east in particular,” said Staton, in a news release. “We cannot be successful and continue to produce capable and engaged citizens who will go out across the communities of this state and make a difference if we don’t have a vital partnership with our community college system."
Here's a complete list of the participating community colleges:
- Beaufort County Community College
- Carteret Community College
- College of the Albemarle
- Craven Community College
- Halifax Community College
- Johnston Community College
- Lenoir Community College
- Martin Community College
- Nash Community College
- Pamlico Community College
- Pitt Community College
- Roanoke-Chowan Community College
- Wayne Community College
- Wilson Community College