Jones College students will have an opportunity to apply for scholarships to further their education at a four-year institution as Jones College and the University of West Alabama announced a partnership to provide numerous scholarship opportunities to Bobcat students Thursday morning.
“Pathways beyond Jones College is very important. It is expensive to invest in education and we strive to help students be successful. Anything can certainly help. Number one, you have to have partnerships because of the proximity of where people live. We have many students who live in the Clarke, Lauderdale, Wayne, and of course Jones County areas that are very close in proximity to West Alabama. It makes perfect sense to partner with them with the reputation that the University of West Alabama has. We are thankful we have the opportunity to do this today,” said Jones College President Dr. Jesse Smith
“It was an easy decision to make, exclaimed Dr. Smith, Considering what they are willing to invest in our students and what they are opening their doors to, I believe it is a perfect fit. It is also a natural fit because they have a student-centered approach similar to what we do, so students feel a part of something special. They feel like they are taken care of, much like they do here at Jones College.”
University of West Alabama President Dr. Ken Tucker also spoke about the partnership which will provide Jones College students with a 3.0 GPA a renewable, $3,000 to 4,000 scholarship for up to four semesters. Additionally, students have the opportunity to qualify for a $2,000 Housing Scholarship for the first year.
“Students from Jones College will benefit from this in many ways. They will be making the transition from a community college to a four-year university as easy and seamless as possible. We are providing one-on-one counseling beforehand and one-on-one advising beforehand, so that students will know exactly what their degree program is, what classes they need to take when to take it, and where to go. That will decrease the stress level and increase the comfort level for the students. ”
University of West Alabama President Dr. Ken Tucker speaks before the two presidents sign the partnership.
“We are incentivizing in several ways, one being academic. We will provide extra scholarship money if they reach a certain academic threshold. The other is a housing scholarship that we will provide to students from Jones College who wish to live in on-campus, which we highly encourage, explained Dr. Tucker, We want what is best for our students. We work very hard to give them the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be successful in their chosen career and life. By making the transition as smooth as possible, we are encouraging students to continue their education. As research shows, the more education you receive, the more successful you will be, the more money you will make, it all leads to increased success throughout life.”
Anyone who receives the scholarships from West Alabama will also be waived from out-of-state tuition fees according to Dr. Tucker. The University of West Alabama’s partnership with Jones College guarantees admission for Jones students who have a 2.0 GPA and 45 transferable credit hours or an associate degree from Jones College.
To see video from the event, click here.