Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Cleary University announces partnerships with three Michigan community colleges: Jackson College, Lansing Community College and Montcalm Community College. The university signed articulation agreements with all three schools in order to help students maximize credits earned at their community college with a goal to begin their studies at Cleary as a junior.

According to a release, many students enter community college with the intent of transferring to a four-year college or university seamlessly, but unfortunately, they find not all of their credits are accepted. An articulation agreement helps students determine their class choices to ensure they are transferable.

“We find these agreements are a valuable resource for students,” reports Jeremy Walker, senior vice president of Enrollment Management at Cleary. “Our goal is to make the transition from community college to Cleary University as seamless, simple and affordable as possible.”

Roughly 40 percent of undergraduate students begin their college education at a community college. Of those, 80 percent plan to earn at least a bachelor’s degree. Between the challenges of completing prerequisites and paying for tuition, many students take longer than anticipated to make the transfer, and many do not. The average transfer student loses more than 40 percent of their credits, which can set them back even further toward their goal of earning a four-year degree, according to Cleary.

“These students are looking forward to a bright and successful future, and we want to remove as many obstacles as we can to ensure their educational path at Cleary is smooth,” Walker reports. “That is why articulation agreements are so beneficial to students. They will know in advance what classes to take that will transfer to Cleary.

“Through our articulation agreements with these three community college partners, we mapped out in detail what transfer students need to know before enrolling at Cleary,” he adds. “We provided each school with a guide for completing necessary course requirements so students can maximize the credits they earn at their college and minimize duplication of coursework.”

Students who are interested in transferring to Cleary University can call Cleary Admissions at (800) 686-1883 or send an email to admissions@cleary.edu