Andrew College announces start of summer bridge program

CUTHBERT — Andrew College has announced the launch of its Summer Bridge Program, aimed at giving underprepared students a jump-start on college.

The program is designed for students who begin college under “conditional” or “provisional” admission to Andrew. Typically, this means that the student’s SAT or ACT score requires that they take English and/or math placement tests prior to registration. Through the Summer Bridge Program, students will be enrolled in courses structured to prepare them for college-level work in the fall.

According to Learning Support Coordinator Farrah Senn, the program should serve students in several ways in their preparations for higher education.

“This program should help students get their learning support courses completed before coming in the fall, which will help them graduate on time and also provide them with the opportunity to build friendships and get acquainted with the school and the community,” she said. “We are excited to offer this program as an option for our students who need it.”

The program is set up as a cohort of students who will live in the dorms, dine together, take courses together, and participate in activities together to build friendships and to become acquainted with the college atmosphere.

During the summer before their first fall semester, students will take College Success, appropriate math and/or English learning support courses, as well as other college-level courses that do not require prerequisite courses. If they earn a “C” or higher in the College Success course as well as any of the required English or math learning support courses, their admission status will be updated to “unconditional.” If students do not earn a “C” in each course during Bridge, they will have the opportunity to re-take the courses once more during a regular semester.

Throughout the semester, faculty and staff on Andrew College’s Bridge Team will assist students by teaching them skills needed for success in college. The Bridge program connects students with campus resources so that they can thrive at the college.

There is no separate application for the Bridge program. The program is open to any incoming freshman student awarded “conditional” or “provisional” acceptance to Andrew.

Students who elect to attend the Summer Bridge Program are enrolled in at least two courses for a total of at least 6 hours. The cost for the program is based on summer tuition and room rates, and is dependent on the number of registered hours. Financial aid is available for the program for qualified applicants. Students will need to fill out a FAFSA (financial aid) form for the 2017-2018 school year to be eligible for financial funding.

The Bridge program runs from May 31-July 27. Information on summer courses may be found on the Andrew College summer schedule, located at www.andrewcollege.edu under “Academics,” “Calendar/Course Schedule.”