Bethel, Ivy Tech Detail Partnership
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIvy Tech Community College and Bethel College have announced an initiative designed to address affordability. Students in the program will take most of their classes at Ivy Tech South Bend, but will live on Bethel's campus in Mishawaka. Once they have earned an associate degree at the community college, they can earn a bachelor's at Bethel.
May 6, 2014
News Release
MISHAWAKA, Ind. – Bethel College and Ivy Tech Community College have partnered to offer dual enrollment to students with the greatest financial need through a new program called 2CU – “Two Campuses, One Focus – You!” This innovative collaboration allows students to combine the on-campus residential experience of a four-year college with the financial benefits of a community college, saving more than $16,000 per year on tuition and living expenses.
“Quite literally, we dry tears of heartsick moms and dads who want their kids in a Christian college environment, but can’t afford it,” says Bethel President Gregg Chenoweth, Ph.D. “We’ve now created another option for these families. There are hundreds of households in our constituency every year who need this solution.”
“Ivy Tech is pleased to partner with Bethel to provide opportunity for more students to successfully complete their degrees,” says Ivy Tech Northwest and North Central Chancellor Thomas Coley, Ph.D. “Better preparing students for a career while reducing their overall student debt is a goal we can all strive to achieve and demonstrates the potential for expanding opportunities when two higher education institutions work collaboratively.”
Students in the 2CU program will take most of their classes at Ivy Tech’s South Bend campus, but will live on Bethel’s campus and have access to the same benefits as full-time residential students. Each semester students will take four credits — a religion and philosophy class and a Christian worldview tutorial — and attend chapel services on Bethel’s campus.
Upon completion of the two-year program, students will have earned an associate degree from Ivy Tech and a Christian worldview endorsement from Bethel, with the opportunity to continue on at Bethel for their bachelor’s degree.
Although Ivy Tech has articulation agreements with other colleges, the 2CU partnership is unique. It provides students a residential experience on the campus of the four-year institution from the beginning so they are better established in the college culture, making the transfer process to complete the bachelor’s degree more streamlined. It also allows students to be involved in student life at both Bethel and Ivy Tech — having access to all student services and social life opportunities on both campuses — enabling them to gain a variety of life experiences to enhance their education.
Kimmi New, a psychology major from Three Rivers, Mich., was the first student to enroll in the program in January and just completed her first semester. New had been accepted to Bethel for the fall 2013 semester, but was unable to attend due to finances and was disappointed to miss out on the residential college experience. Now, through 2CU, she is able to attend Bethel without worrying about finances. “Knowing I will be able to pay for my first two years of college debt free is a great feeling,” says New.
The program is open to students who meet specific financial need criteria based on their completed FAFSA. Up to 25 students will be accepted into the program each year. For more information about 2CU, visit BethelCollege.edu/2CU.
Bethel College is an accredited Christian college offering associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in more than 70 areas of study. The current enrollment of more than 1,800 includes students from 34 states and Puerto Rico, 10 countries and 16 percent from culturally diverse backgrounds. In addition to its beautifully wooded 75-acre main campus in Mishawaka, Ind., Bethel also offers specific academic programs at sites in Elkhart, Ind., Fort Wayne, Ind., Dowagiac, Mich., and St. Joseph, Mich. Connect with Bethel online at BethelCollege.edu, or via Facebook (Facebook.com/BethelCollege), Twitter (Twitter.com/BethelCollegeIN), YouTube (YouTube.com/BethelCollegeIndiana) and Instagram (Instagram.com/BethelCollege).
Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.
Source: Bethel College