Pictured from left: Cynthia Seaman, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost, Reading Area Community College; Kristen Marcinko, Director of Academic Partnerships, Reading Area Community College; Dr. Susan Looney, President, Reading Area Community College, Jamal Dancy, 2022 RACC Graduate and Alvernia Reading Collegiate Scholarship Recipient; John R. Loyack, President, Alvernia University; Dr. Glynis Fitzgerald, Senior Vice President and Provost, Alvernia University; Dr. Gaetan Giannini, Vice President for Graduate and Adult Education, Alvernia University
Partnership includes pathways for traditional and accelerated adult bachelor programs
Alvernia University and Reading Area Community College (RACC) have introduced an expanded dual admissions transfer agreement to facilitate the transfer of RACC students to Alvernia’s Baccalaureate Degree Programs.
“RACC is committed to creating academic partnerships, especially in Berks County, that encourage students to complete their associate degree before transferring to a four-year institution,” says Dr. Looney. “Our graduates are highly valued by our college and university partners, and we are excited that President Loyack and Alvernia have committed to a seamless transfer to their bachelor’s degree programs.”
The expanded dual admissions transfer partnership allows students to earn their associate degree at Reading Area Community College and then enroll, with junior standing, at Alvernia University’s main campus in Reading, Pa., or online for other community-based campuses to pursue and complete a bachelor’s degree in two years.
“As a university that is deeply committed to transforming the lives of our students and ensuring we have a high-quality workforce, we look forward to working with our downtown Reading neighbor RACC,” said Alvernia University President John R. Loyack. “This agreement will not only provide resources and financial assistance to students to transform lives through training and value-based education at Alvernia but will also foster a natural pipeline of skilled graduates to businesses and organizations in Greater Reading, Berks County and eastern Pennsylvania.”
Traditional residential transfer students that declare dual admission will benefit from annual academic scholarships from Alvernia up to $21,000 to help lower the cost of their education. Students enrolling in accelerated adult bachelor programs are eligible for scholarships up to $4,000. Students have a single point of contact in admissions to assist with their transition and receive several communications prior to their community college graduation. Application fees are also waived for dually enrolled students.
Alvernia's expanded Reading Collegiate Scholars Program (RCSP) with RACC began in 2019 with two full-tuition transfer scholarships for qualified RACC graduates and two additional scholarships were added each year, resulting in a total of six transfer students attending in Fall 2021. Recipients must live in the city of Reading, earn an Associate's Degree from RACC, maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and be enrolled full-time in the day academic division.
“After graduating from RACC, I did not know exactly what my next step was going to be, so when I did hear back from Alvernia there was a sense of relief, especially getting this scholarship,” said Jamal Dancy, 2022 RCSP scholarship recipient. “My only wish is that this experience brings hope into the inner-city kids by seeing someone from the city that looks like them and has been through similar things accomplish something and that they can do it too if they stay focused.”
Alvernia’s expansion into downtown Reading through the Reading CollegeTowne initiative creates new pathways for students to take courses along the Penn Street corridor. More information on this partnership and application instructions can be found at Alvernia.edu.
