Wilson College and Hagerstown Community College have reached an agreement guaranteeing qualified HCC students admission to Wilson bachelor’s degree programs and allowing them to transfer all credits earned with a grade of C or higher.

The dual admission and articulation agreement, officially signed today by college officials at a ceremony on Wilson’s campus, offers HCC associate degree graduates additional advantages that make continuing their education as seamless as possible, including receiving full junior status at Wilson if they transfer 60 credits, as well as having Wilson’s admission fee waived. Qualified HCC students will also receive coordinated academic advising by both colleges to ensure that they take courses that can be applied to their bachelor’s degree.

The goal is to encourage more HCC graduates to pursue a bachelor’s degree after they complete their associate degree by making the transition as smooth and economical as possible, according to officials at both institutions.

“Partnerships like these allow students to complete their bachelor’s degrees in less time, saving them money while preparing them for the ever-changing 21st-century employment landscape,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. “Not only is a bachelor’s degree required for a growing number of jobs, but it is also the key to more earning power over the course of a career. At Wilson, we are committed to improving access to our programs for all students.”

Specifically, to qualify for a Wilson bachelor’s degree pathway under the dual admission agreement, HCC students must graduate with an associate degree with a minimum, cumulative grade-point average of 2.0, and they must have submitted an intent form upon completing 30 credits at HCC. Students may transfer to Wilson a maximum of 72 credits earned at HCC.

“We are excited to enter this agreement with Wilson College,” said HCC President Jim Klauber. “It will give our graduates, especially those pursuing a master’s degree, more options and opportunities. I am always excited to open more doors of opportunity for our graduates.”

Mistick and Klauber signed the accord, as well as Wilson Vice President for Academic Affairs Elissa Heil and HCC Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Services David Warner.

The benefits of higher levels of education extend to both employers and students. “The data are clear: a college degree is key to economic opportunity, conferring substantially higher earnings on those with credentials than those without,” according to The College Payoff: Education, Occupations Lifetime Earnings, a report on lifetime earnings by level of education published by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Drawing from U.S. Census Bureau data, the report outlines the increased earning potential over the course of a lifetime, with an associate degree holder earning, on average, $423,000 more than a person with only a high school diploma, and a bachelor’s degree yielding an average of $541,000 more than an associate degree.

About Wilson College
Founded in 1869, Wilson College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in Chambersburg, Pa., offering bachelor’s degrees in 35 majors and graduate degrees in education, healthcare, nursing, business and the arts and humanities. Ranked as a top college and a "best value" in the region by U.S. News & World Report, Wilson is committed to providing an affordable education that offers value to its students beyond graduation. Wilson, located in Chambersburg, Pa., had a fall 2018 enrollment of 1,499. Visit www.wilson.edu for more information.

About HCC
Hagerstown Community College was founded in 1946 and is a two-year public community college offering more than 100 areas of study in both transfer and career-oriented programs, as well as continuing education classes. The college is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and serves more than 6,000 credit students and 7,000 continuing education students each year. Since 2003, early college enrollment has grown to nearly 900 high school students who take HCC classes each year through the ESSENCE Program and the STEMM Technical Middle College. To learn more, visit www.hagerstowncc.edu.