[SPOKANE, Wash.] --Whitworth University wants to make baccalaureate education available to all qualified students within the Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS) system, a goal also shared by CCS. In that spirit, the two higher education institutions are launching a partnership that will benefit students immediately.
The CCS district serves more than 30,000 students annually at Spokane Community College (SCC) and Spokane Falls Community (SFCC). Through the Guaranteed Admissions Program (GAP), CCS students with a 3.4 GPA or higher will be guaranteed admission to Whitworth and receive a $25,000-plus scholarship.
This new transfer pathway will also benefit the Spokane region as employers work to retain local college graduates. Whitworth is consistently one of the top-ranked private universities in Washington by education service companies and digital media outlets such as The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report and Niche.com but can be perceived as “out of reach” for many students in our region.
“This program guarantees both admission and a minimum $25,000 scholarship,” says Josh Hibbard, Whitworth’s vice president for enrollment management. “This demonstrates Whitworth’s commitment to serving SCC and SFCC students who are seeking a four-year bachelor’s degree without leaving our community.”
The benefits for CCS students enrolled in this program will be crucial to student success.
“We are excited to partner with Whitworth University to provide our district’s transfer students a pathway to continue their education locally, with significant financial support to assist them on their journey,” says Lori Hunt, Ed.D., CCS Chief of Staff & Strategy. “Partnerships like this help us fulfill our mission of offering all students an excellent education that transforms their lives and expands their opportunities.”
CCS students who participate in GAP will not have to pay an application fee. Whitworth and CCS will partner at various events to familiarize students with the new program, and CCS will provide official transcripts to Whitworth at no cost for students applying to GAP by May 1 or sooner.
To be eligible for GAP, CCS students must:
-
Be currently enrolled at Spokane Community College or Spokane Falls Community College
-
Be making satisfactory academic progress toward completion of an associate degree
-
Submit an application for admission to Whitworth by the priority deadline above.
To learn more about GAP, click here.
About Whitworth University
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
About Community Colleges of Spokane
CCS provides education and services in a six-county region of Eastern Washington, operates Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC) and Spokane Community College (SCC), and is the largest provider of Head Start and Early Childhood Education in the region. Each year, nearly 30,000 people – from infants to senior citizens – are provided educational services by CCS.
Contact:
Trisha Coder, associate director of media relations, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu
Jeff Bunch, district communications director, Community Colleges of Spokane, (509) 434-5150 or jeff.bunch@ccs.spokane.edu