A joint admissions agreement signed this week between Northern Essex Community College and UMass Lowell helps make it easier for students to transfer between the two schools.
Upon acceptance to Northern Essex Community College, students who opt into joint admissions on their application will also be conditionally accepted to UMass Lowell.
“By making this process of applying to college and earning an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree affordable, we’re opening the doors wider for the communities we serve,” said Northern Essex President Lane A. Glenn. “We’re better preparing a workforce for the Commonwealth. And, it’s a workforce that the Commonwealth desperately needs.”
Upon completion of their associate degree, joint admissions students are exempt from paying the University’s admission fee and have priority registration at UMass Lowell. They will also receive priority for Merit Scholarships and will be exempt from UMass’s core curriculum. Northern Essex graduates will be admitted to UMass Lowell with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.
Some UMass Lowell programs may have additional requirements for incoming transfer students and the agreement does not apply to students wishing to transfer into Lowell’s nursing program.
UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen and Provost Joe Hartman joined Glenn and Northern Essex Provost Paul Beaudin on the college campus to formally sign the agreement this past Monday.
“The world is changing. And we’re recognizing that the pathways to education are also changing,” said Chen. “We know that Northern Essex is a key piece of this ecosystem and a partner for us because NECC provides that critical, early support.”
“Nearly half the adults in Massachusetts have a bachelor’s degree. Geography is destiny: 28% of adults in Haverhill have a bachelor’s degree and 14% of adults in Lawrence 25 years or older have a bachelor’s degree or higher. So, efforts like this are a cause for social justice, they’re a cause for addressing the workforce’s needs, and they’re a cause for changing many lives of families in the future,” added Glenn.
UMass Lowell Provost Joe Hartman said approximately 900 students have transferred in the last six years. “They’ve retained at a higher rate than our average students, so we know they come in well-prepared and ready to succeed, work hard and move forward.” As part of the joint admissions agreement, a UMass Lowell admissions counselor will be assigned specifically to Northern Essex students.