New Transfer Pathway To New York City

Onondaga Community College (OCC) and Medgar Evers College (MEC) today signed a transfer agreement which will give OCC students who meet specific requirements a guaranteed pathway to a bachelor's degree program and financial support at MEC. MEC is a four-year school in Brooklyn which is part of the City University of New York system.

OCC students who express an interest in eventually transferring to MEC will receive continuous guidance while enrolled at OCC through periodic reviews with advisors. To be eligible for the Direct Admission Program, OCC students must:

• Maintain a 2.25 grade point average (equivalent of a C+/B-).
• Remain in good standing.
• Complete their associate degree.

Successful OCC graduates who are New York residents will be eligible for the Medgar Evers CHAMPSS Program which includes financial support of up to $3,500 per semester, book vouchers, and metro cards. The CHAMPSS Program is available to MEC full-time students for up to two years. SHAPSS is an acronym for Cultivating Holistic Academic Mindsets to Promote Student Success.

"This Direct Admissions Program provides our students with a guaranteed, predictable pathway to a bachelor's degree at an outstanding institution. As we welcome students to our campus from the New York City area, this provides them with the option to pursue their bachelor's degree closer to home. And, it provides Upstate New York residents with an affordable option to obtain their bachelor's degree in New York City. We thank the leadership at Medgar Evers College for their tireless work on this agreement which will benefit students and improve their lives in future years. This agreement will no doubt produce for New York State future nurses, accountants, computer programmers, teachers, social workers, and more," said OCC President Dr. Warren M. Hilton.

"Strategic relationships with institutions such as Onondaga Community College are critical to the long-term health and vitality of Medgar Evers College. Our Commitment to improving the lives of students and their communities is mission critical, and we have found a fellow college with similar DNA. Working with Onondaga will allow us to not only welcome students back home to complete their bachelor's degree, but also expose those from elsewhere in the state of New York to our little slice of heaven here in Brooklyn. We can't wait to welcome students through this partnership and look forward to the ongoing innovative work we will do with Onondaga to continue to find unique opportunities for students in the years to come," said Dr. Patricia Ramsey, President of Medgar Evers College.