St. Ambrose teamed up with two Quad Cities' community colleges to make the transfer process easier for students. The dual admissions agreement, signed Monday June fourth, will take the pressure off of students hoping to get their four-year degree in the Quad Cities.
The agreement between Saint Ambrose, Black Hawk College and Eastern Iowa Community Colleges gives students who enroll before completing 30 credit hours a one-thousand dollar scholarship. It also ensures that they will fit the general education requirements necessary to graduate at St. Ambrose.
"Students ask first what will transfer, how quickly can I finish and our aim is to make that question really no longer necessary. They would have that answer from the time they begin working with their counselor at the community college and their counselor here at Saint Ambrose." said Joan Lescincki, president of Saint Ambrose University.
Students will also get full access to St. Ambrose including a student ID and use of the facilities on campus.
"Sometimes they have to be here, sometimes they simply prefer to stay in the local community and this really knits together the institutions and the local community in a way that's better for everybody here," said Donald Doucette, chancellor of Eastern Iowa Community Colleges.
In the past ten years 2,500 community college students have transferred to St. Ambrose. 85% of those came from Black Hawk and Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. St. Ambrose hopes the move will increase those numbers even more.