Dive Brief:
- A 2+2-2 model for early college programs in New Jersey is creating a pathway to help students earn master's degrees in the same amount of time it would normally take to obtain a bachelor's degree.
- The articulation agreement between St. John Vianney High School, Brookdale Community College, and Georgian Court University awards an associate degrees to high school graduates through dual enrollment programs, after which they enroll in the community college for two years to complete their bachelor's degree, before moving on to the university to complete their master's degree.
- Proponents of the model say that this allows for students to reduce tuition costs by two years or more, provides high level credentials in less time, and addresses any concerns that students graduating from college two years early might not be socially or emotionally ready to enter the workforce.
Dive Insight:
Because many college leaders continue to publicly advance the notion of higher education as a vital tool in human flourishing and awareness, these programs also present the opportunity to pair affordability imperatives with resources to improve soft skills along with academic and workforce training. These pairings will be particularly important for four-year institutions as legislative discussions about deregulation in the for-profit sector and free community college programs become more prevalent around the nation.
Four year schools have the brand relevance with secondary districts and industrial players to sell these kind of learning and professional pathways, and may want to examine how corporate entities could serve as financial backers for these types of initiatives.