Anne Arundel Community College offers students the chance to stay in the county and earn bachelor?s and even master?s degrees through online classes.
“That?s what?s excellent about community college ? its responsiveness to community needs,” said Linda Schulte, director of public relations and marketing at Anne Arundel Community College.
Howard Community College and Excelsior College signed an agreement Tuesday that allows students to transfer up to 90 credits to the Albany, N.Y., college, and take online courses toward a bachelor?s degree.
AACC students can earn bachelor?s degrees through the university consortium of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, McDaniel College, University of Maryland University College and Villa Julie College.
The number of credits that are allowed to transfer for each student varies by program, Schulte said.
What makes the Howard County partnership unique is the high number of credits that can be transferred to Excelsior, said Randall Bengfort, director of public relations and marketing for Howard Community College.
Ellicott City resident Alan Jefferson, who has 59 credits to transfer, is getting ready to take courses at Excelsior as the first applicant.
“It?s tailor-made for me,” said Jefferson, 49, the vice president of the Stanford Boulevard, Columbia branch of Wachovia Bank. “I work full time and volunteer in the community ? what?s most appealing is working at my own pace.”
