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New Bronco Benefit program provides seamless transition for SCC transfer students
Southeastern Community College was one of several community colleges that forged a new partnership with Fayetteville State University with the Bronco Benefit, a program designed for transfer students with at least 30 completed credit hours looking to obtain their bachelor’s degree. SCC President Dr. Chris English and SCC Executive Vice President Dr. Sylivia Cox signed an articulation agreement in the Rudolph Jones Student Center at FSU on May 29 during a signing ceremony and luncheon.
“We’re excited to work with Fayetteville State University because of the wonderful opportunities they have for students and the support they provide,” Cox said. “When we have a seamless articulation agreement between a university and our community college, it really helps those transfer students get to that first day of class on that university campus as easily as possible.”
English said he was looking forward to SCC transfer students moving to the university level especially in the information technology, business administration, nursing and applied sciences fields. He said the partnership with FSU was an excellent example of providing affordable transfer options for students. FSU is an NC Promise school with $500 tuition per semester for in-state students.
Dr. Cierra Griffin, FSU’s Executive Director for Adult Learners, Transfer and Military Students, explained that the Bronco Benefit has several perks for each community college. There are three dedicated FSU transfer liaisons who will visit each campus once per month to provide support and enrollment information. Every transfer student’s $50 application fee is waived. There is a dedicated “FSU Day” on each campus once every academic year to provide admissions, financial aid, and enrollment services.
“I wanted to do something where the transition for community college students didn’t start when they applied to us,” Griffin said. “I feel like we should hold their hands because they’re not the experts and do what we do every day. We should be with them when they leave your colleges, come here and walk across our stage.”
Dr. Pamela Baldwin, FSU’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Enrollment Management, explained that the Brono Benefit “just makes sense” based on their data, programing and work. She said that FSU has created a transfer receptive culture, and the university is built for it.
“We’re not just signing a piece of paper,” Baldwin said. “We have actually created structures, processes, departments and personnel to support our efforts. We want to make sure we are good partners, and we vetted you to make sure you were going to be good partners.”
Dr. Monica Leach, FSU Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, explained that statistics show transfer students “do extremely well” when coming from a community college. She said the Bronco Benefit would be a seamless process for transfer students because of the existing partnerships with the selected community colleges.
“Thank you so much for your commitment to student success as we know this is the bedrock of the work we do on behalf of this great state, our great university and your community college campus,” Leach said during opening ceremonies. “This historic initiative is one that we did not take lightly because we are very data-driven in assessing the importance of building partnerships and collaborating with universities and colleges like yourself in order to meet the needs of the students.”
FSU Chancellor Darrell Allison said the Bronco Benefit stands on three ideals: diversity, affordability and completion. He said the program is not about signing an MOU, and it was about collaboration in “utilizing every resource possible to ensure excellent transition of transfer students” from the community colleges represented at the ceremony.
“You will not find a more diverse student population and faculty population in the nation than here at Fayetteville State University,” Allison said. “The Bronco Benefit program is not a gimmick but a true example of creating intentional pathways for our transfer students and adult learners to complete their respective journeys.”
FSU was founded in 1867, and it is the second oldest public university in the UNC System. As of Jan. 9, 2024, the student population was 6,909.
According to FSU’s Office of Adult Learners, Transfer and Military Students, students over 25 years old make up 45.4% of the student population. It is made up of 13.5% transfer students with 54.4% of those coming from the North Carolina Community College System. The population is also 31.6% military affiliated.
