UNC Charlotte and Gaston College sign agreement to boost transfers, increase academic preparation
UNC Charlotte and Gaston College have signed a new joint agreement focused at increasing the number of Gaston College students with two-year associate degrees who transfer to UNC Charlotte and earn a bachelor’s degree.
Gaston College President Dr. John Hauser and UNC Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber signed the memorandum of understanding for the co-admission program, “49erNext,” that facilitates degree completion and student success by creating a seamless pathway for Gaston College students who want to earn a four-year degree at UNC Charlotte. The agreement immediately launches a comprehensive effort to guarantee admissions to all qualifying Gaston College transfer students.
Recruitment for the program began this fall 2020 semester. Currently, 23 students have enrolled into this innovative program.
“UNC Charlotte enrolls the most transfer students of any institution in North Carolina,” said UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber. “The 49erNext partnership with Gaston College creates an opportunity for qualified students to easily transition to UNC Charlotte and ensures we are proactively meeting students’ academic, financial and career planning needs. This innovative program is designed to produce a greater number of qualified, work-force ready graduates at a significant cost savings to them.”
“Like Gaston College, UNC Charlotte is focused on the academic success of its students,” said Dr. John Hauser, President of Gaston College. “This collaborative partnership reinforces our efforts to work together to help qualified students obtain the resources they need and meet rigorous academic standards. This fall, Gaston College students enrolled into this unique program knowing they did not have to be concerned about losing any credit hours in the transfer process.”
“Our goal at Gaston College is to make sure students from all backgrounds have equity in access, equity in learning, and equity in success, and the 49erNext program will help us to be successful in achieving this goal.” added Dr. Hauser.
As participants in the 49erNext program, students are eligible to transfer into 77 undergraduate degree programs with 170+ majors at UNC Charlotte. They are also guaranteed admission into UNC Charlotte after completing an eligible associate degree with the required GPA.
While completion of the program requirements guarantees admission to UNC Charlotte, it does not guarantee admission into more selective degree programs. Some degree programs may have higher GPA and/or other admission requirements to be considered.
Benefits of the 49erNext program
The 49erNext program is only available to first time, full-time community college students (students who have not yet taken any courses after high school).
This unique program promotes student success by offering collaborative advising that helps students progress toward timely degree completion, coordinated financial aid processes, career advising, and opportunities to develop financial literacy skills.
In addition to the student services received from Gaston College, participants in 49erNext receive the following benefits:
- Guided transfer pathways for intended majors/programs at UNC Charlotte
- Academic advising and career services support at UNC Charlotte
- 49er athletic event student tickets
- Recreation center (UREC) access ($25 fee per semester)
- UNC Charlotte library access
- CATS All-Transit Pass ($25 fee per semester for light rail and bus access)
- Financial aid/FAFSA workshops
- Major and career exploration workshops
Students interested in learning more about the 49erNext program should visit www.gaston.edu/49erNext or email 49erNext@gaston.edu.
