Students who finish at Columbus State Community College can now transfer to Capital University with no tuition as part of the Main Street Scholarship.
Students currently attending Columbus State Community College who have desires to move on to a bachelor’s degree will be able to do so this fall at Capital University without any debt.
Capital University made the announcement that it is expanding its existing partnership with Columbus State Community College to offer full fees and tuition scholarships to transfer students working toward a bachelor’s degree as part of Capital University’s Main Street Scholarship.
The scholarship begins this fall and is open to all Columbus State-Capital dual admission students, including all Columbus State transfer students who are making a GPE of 2.5 or better, are Ohio residents, and are at least partially eligible for the Federal Pell Grant.
Students as early in their college careers as sophomores are eligible for this scholarship as long as they have at least three years of Pell eligibility. Students who have completed an associate degree at Columbus State Community College and are still eligible for the Pell grant are eligible as well. This also includes previous Columbus State graduates.
Jody Fouriner, Provost at Capital University, talked to the Columbus Dispatch about the new scholarship, saying of students, "We're treating them like Capital Students from day one at Columbus State."
Capital University has been auditing itself since 2009 with the goal of improving student outcomes and has since made hundreds of changes to its operations, according to Fournier. One of the areas the school noted was lacking was in its focus on transfer students.
Similarly, Columbus State Community College had goals for its graduating students. President David T. Harrison and Capital University looked at how to make the transfer process more seamless for students.
Both schools share a recruiter who engages with interested high school students, according to Capital University’s President David L. Kaufman. Columbus State and Capital University dual admission students are enrolled at both schools and have access to the resources of both, such as student organizations, events, housing, campus libraries, and more.
The biggest missing piece for transfer students was economics. Tuition for full time students attending Capital University is nearly $40,000 a year with an additional $450 in student fees. Students who are full time at Columbus State Community College pay just over $5,000 a year.
"Affordability is the final step after accessibility," said Kaufman.
Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at Columbus State Martin Maliwesky talked about the school’s partnership with Capital University over the years, and how it has helped both institutions meet their shared goals for the success for their students: "Offering full tuition and fees support to our transfer students increases equitable access and opportunity for successful persistence and completion as they continue their higher education journey. Starting at Columbus State is an outstanding start toward a zero-debt degree, and partners like Capital who understand the need for ongoing financial and holistic supports further our mission in a way we cannot do alone."
Kaufman mentioned that he doesn’t know of any other schools who have a partnership the way Columbus State and Capital University do, where a two-year public college and a four-year private university created a transfer student-focused model of financial aid.
Fournier spoke more about the program, saying, "There are highly capable, highly motivated students who want to pursue higher education, but face financial barriers. This is a game changer."
Fournier also said that the experience of transfer students should be top of mind for school administrators. He talked about how most four-year schools do not offer the type of financial aid to transfer students that they do to other students.
Kaufman noticed this too. He talked about how the scholarship is an investment in the students of both schools, saying, "If you've already had two years at Columbus State, you've worked hard and you know what you're doing, I would rather invest in you. It's an investment in success."
More information about Columbus State Community College can be found at the school’s website.
More information about Capital University can be found at the school’s website.