Drexel U. Ending Community College Partnership and Reduced Tuition Program
At a time when students are trying to find ways to stretch their education dollars, it is difficult to imagine the calculation that went into Drexel University’s decision to end its partnership with community colleges.
Drexel University is ending its partnership with Burlington County College (BCC) and other two-year institutions in which students were allowed to earn four-year degrees at discounted tuition rates on community college campuses.
The program sent Drexel faculty and staff members to teach courses at community colleges in Delaware, Montgomery, and Burlington Counties, Philly.com reported. The university has opted to phase out the program because school officials believe they can best serve the needs of students in the future through the comprehensive degree programs at their Philadelphia campus.
“After almost a decade of offering Drexel degree programs at select community colleges, we now believe that students are best served by completing their degree on Drexel’s campus, where they will have access to the full Drexel experience, including interactions with a wide range of faculty and other students and to all of the resources available on campus,” Niki Gianakaris, Drexel’s media relations director, told the Burlington County Times.
Currently enrolled, full-time Drexel at BCC students will be able to complete their Drexel University education on-site at Burlington County College. There will be no change to the tuition structure.
Tuition for the Drexel program at BCC is about two-thirds that at Drexel’s main campus, where annual tuition is more than $46,000, Philly.com reported.
The university will also end similar partnerships with Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) and Delaware County Community College(DCCC) that began last year and were modeled after their partnership with BCC.
“It’s unfortunate that Drexel decided to reimagine or reenvision the program,” Victoria Bastecki-Perez, vice president of academic affairs and provost at the Montgomery County college, told Philly.com. “They believed it was not sustainable in the long term.”
Drexel University to End Partnerships With Community Colleges (University Herald)