Students have a new option for high-quality four-year degrees in southern New Jersey through a new partnership announced today by Rowan University and Burlington County College, which will change its name to Rowan College at Burlington County.
“Two outstanding institutions have opened the door to the future of higher education,” said Rowan College at Burlington County President Paul Drayton. “Students will have the opportunity to earn one of the finest four-year university degrees in the nation for less than what it costs to attend one year at many four-year universities.”
Officials from both institutions unveiled the partnership on Thursday the night after both Boards of Trustees formally approved the agreement.
“We are proud to be able to partner with Rowan College at Burlington County to make higher education more accessible and even more affordable,” said Dr. Ali Houshmand, president of Rowan University. “This partnership speaks volumes about both institutions’ commitment to increasing opportunities for students and creating an educated workforce that will strengthen South Jersey’s economy.”
Under the partnership, all students at Rowan College at Burlington County will be accepted to Rowan University upon completion of their associate degree and certain program-specific requirements where applicable. Rowan University will begin offering select courses on the Mount Laurel campus, which will provide students a 15 percent discount. Rowan University will also provide $2,000 scholarships annually to five high-achieving Rowan College at Burlington County students.
“I commend President Drayton, President Houshmand and all of their staff for having the vision to bring affordable high-demand degrees to Burlington County,” said Katie Gibbs, who serves on the Rowan College at Burlington County Board of Trustees. “As someone who knows firsthand the difficulty posed by the expense of higher education and the burden of student debt, I understand personally what great news this exciting new partnership is for students who want high-quality degrees that will lead to high-paying careers.”
Beginning immediately, all students from central New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, who are not accepted directly to Rowan University will be offered conditional admittance to the university through Rowan College at Burlington County, upon completion of their associate degree. This will create a pipeline of students to Rowan University through Burlington County.
The agreement specifies certain programs will be taught in Burlington County, most notably electrical engineering, computer engineering and a Master of Arts in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. It also provides access to Rowan University’s online-degree completion programs.
The historic agreement does not affect the governance structure of either university, which will each be governed and operated independently and distinctly from each other. The pact was formally approved by both boards of trustees on Wednesday, June 10.
