Drexel University will offer 50% tuition scholarships to transfer students who earn their ... [+]
Drexel University is launching The Drexel Promise, a new financial aid program aimed at increasing the number of community college graduates from its region who transfer to the university.
Starting in fall 2023, The Drexel Promise will provide students who have earned an Associate’s degree at an accredited community college in either Pennsylvania or New Jersey with a renewable scholarship for 50% of the cost of tuition during their enrollment in one of the university’s bachelor's degree programs.
Founded in 1891, Drexel University is a nationally regarded private research university with a total enrollment of more than 23,000 students. It’s famous for its co-op (cooperative) program, which provides students the chance to combine academic study with full-time employment, a kind of “test-drive” of their careers. Most majors at Drexel require a co-op experience.
Drexel enrolls about 650 transfer students each year, but the Drexel Promise is aimed at a specific group - students in “our backyard” who are academically qualified, but who need additional support to finish their baccalaureate degree, said Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management Evelyn Thimba.
The program is modeled after Drexel’s Liberty Scholars Program, which began a decade ago, and provides full scholarships to local high school graduates who may not otherwise have been able to afford college.
The Drexel Promise aims to create a similar cohort of ambitious students coming from community colleges, according to Thimba. “Given that these students have made an important decision to start their post-secondary academic career at community colleges, we want to make sure that our institution supports them,” she said.
Degree completion has been a long-standing issue for community college students. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that only 13% of community college students graduate in two years. After three years, approximately 22% graduate, and within four years, the rate reaches only 28%.
The Drexel Promise takes aim at that problem. To be eligible for the new tuition scholarships, students will be required to have finished their Associate’s degrees.
Drexel Promise awards will cover half of students’ tuition (full time sticker price tuition is $18,865 per quarter), but they can be combined with other forms of federal and state financial assistance like Pell Grants further reduce costs. However, recipients are not eligible for most other forms of institutional financial aid.
Application for Promise Awards has been streamlined. Applicants to a full-time, on-campus program starting in fall 2023 simply need to indicate on their application that they have earned or will earn an associate degree from an eligible Pennsylvania or New Jersey community college before starting their program at Drexel. No additional forms or applications are required.
However, applicants are encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to determine their eligibility for federal and/or state funding.
To be eligible for Promise awards, applicants must meet Drexel's criteria for admission and receive an offer of acceptance from the University.
In order to continue to receive the award in future years, students must maintain full-time enrollment and a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. The award can only be applied for a maximum of 12 academic quarters.
Drexel Promise students will receive the same on-boarding and college experience support that first-year Drexel students receive, including, for example, advising to help them understand how their semester credits transfer into Drexel’s quarter credits.
“We’re excited to be able to make this commitment to transfer students that I think really aligns with our ethos and our mission to be able to provide access to a college education that is, like A.J. Drexel said, not only good, but good for something,” Thimba said. “In this case, we’re going to make sure we’re removing a financial barrier that has kept transfer students away from our doors.”
