Dear college students, high school seniors, parents and guardians,
The uncertainty of today’s world has challenged us as a nation, a community, and as individuals. It has been particularly disruptive for many students sent home from college, for our high school seniors unable to celebrate graduation with their friends, and for families uncertain about their financial future. For many students and parents, the expectation of going off to college is now much different than it was at the beginning of the year. The excitement of graduation, proms and the prospect of potentially living away from home in a college dorm this fall has been upended by the pandemic. Most traditional residential colleges and universities are understandably uncertain about their fall status and no one knows what will be happening in the months to come. Economic uncertainty and high unemployment also makes entering the workforce challenging and competitive. In these unsettled times it is difficult to predict what will happen as we make plans for the summer and fall.
That said, with the unpredictability the future holds, I would like you to consider Quinsigamond Community College as an alternative that will allow you to continue to pursue your education and prepare for the future.
QCC offers a way for you to receive a quality education right from home that will allow you to transfer to a four-year college to continue your education or obtain the skills to enter the workforce successfully. In addition, QCC is one of the most affordable, higher education choices in the region. Many of our students are currently attending for little to no cost and with the current economic downturn, attending QCC just makes more sense.
At QCC our courses are taught by all the same instructors as four-year institutions, with several notable exceptions. Actual professors who are experts in their academic field and have real world industry experience teach all of our courses, not graduate students or teaching assistants. Our instructors are subject experts, well-connected to the academic and business community, which gives QCC students real-world knowledge that they can apply directly to the workforce or continue on to a four year-institution.
QCC offers over 120 degree or certificate programs, small class sizes (18:1 student/professor ratio) and support services to ensure students have everything they need to succeed. While we offer exceptional tutoring support and academic services, we also offer many social support services that include a food pantry and student resource center; career training and placement; robust student life with a multitude of clubs; Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and a comprehensive mentoring program that pairs students with community and industry leaders.
Prior to the pandemic, we offered our courses days, nights, weekends and online. In early February, to ensure the safety of our students, staff and faculty we began to plan to transition to remote operations if needed. I am proud to say that once Governor Baker instituted the stay-at-home orders, we were able to transfer successfully, virtually all of our courses to a remote learning platform. Our support services also effectively and efficiently transferred online. In addition, we increased the support and outreach to our students to help them successfully transition to a remote and online environment. If our world is still impacted by the coronavirus/COVID-19 this fall, we will take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our students and, if necessary, seamlessly continue this form of educational delivery so that our students continue to receive the high-caliber education they have come to expect from us.
You can have the best of both worlds at QCC. We offer over 250 transfer agreement pathways to public and private four-year institution and as an accredited institution, our credits transfer to virtually any accredited college or university in the country. We also offer incredible state transfer options, MassTransfer and Commonwealth Commitment. The MassTransfer program provides community college students the opportunity to transfer to baccalaureate programs at any Massachusetts State University or UMASS with guaranteed admission, full applicability of credit and a tuition discount. In addition to these benefits, the Commonwealth Commitment offers eligible students a way to save even more with a freeze on tuition and fees upon entry into the program, as well as a 10% reduction of tuition and fees over four years.
In closing, often when one door closes another one opens. I hope you will consider QCC as the doorway to a successful future. Please take a virtual tour of our campus and learn more about QCC.
Stay well, be safe and we hope to see you this fall.
