Penn State’s commonwealth campuses and the state’s community colleges announced a collaboration to expand educational opportunities and remove barriers to degree completion. As part of the initiative, individual campuses and community colleges will renew or enter into new articulation agreements. Articulation agreements help streamline the process for community college students to transfer to the campuses. In addition, community colleges and campuses will work together to strengthen advising and transition support services.

The collaboration will promote the availability of RaiseME Transfer Scholarships. Penn State currently participates in the RaiseME initiative, which enables students who enroll at Pennsylvania community colleges and transfer to Penn State commonwealth campuses to earn micro scholarships for getting good grades, participating in co-curricular activities, or volunteering in the community. When they transfer to Penn State, the micro scholarships are converted to a Penn State scholarship.

“On behalf of the presidents of Pennsylvania’s 15 community colleges, I want to express our excitement about expanding our partnership with Penn State. This agreement will create new opportunities for community college students to become Nittany Lions,” said Tuesday Stanley, chair of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges and president of Westmoreland County Community College.

The commonwealth campus and community college collaboration also establishes a common dual admission program. Pennsylvania community college students with a high school degree enrolled in an associate degree program may request dual admission to a designated Penn State commonwealth campus and receive a conditional offer of admission to that campus. During their last semester of community college enrollment, these students will submit a transfer application at no fee. They will be guaranteed admission into a bachelor’s degree program at that campus, provided certain eligibility requirements have been met.