This month, both the University of Akron and Kent State University announced partnerships with 2-year colleges. It鈥檚 part of a growing trend in higher education.
is partnering with , while the announced an with . In both cases, the schools have said the goal is to make it easier for students getting an Associate鈥檚 Degree to transition seamlessly into a 4-year program.
That鈥檚 the advantage for students, according to Seppy Basili, executive director of , which has of higher education. He says for the schools, such partnerships help to boost enrollment and graduation rates.
鈥淲hen you have a better articulated program, students transfer with more credits in [and] they are more likely to graduate. So that's a huge benefit for those schools."
The schools鈥� state funding is based on how many students graduate. Basili adds that his foundation is also about to release a report later this year on how well community college students perform when they transfer to 4-year schools.
