MCC TEAMS UP WITH PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FOR PROJECT GRADUATE COLLEGE FAIR

Madisonville Community College is teaming up with Kentucky public colleges and universities to offer a statewide, virtual college fair for former students and other adults who are close to completing their college degrees.

The Project Graduate online college fair is set for Tuesday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. ET (10 a.m.-8 p.m. CT). The fair will connect prospective students to college advisors who can answer questions via text and video chat, and help get the adults on a path to finish their degree.

A key strategy to growing educational attainment in our service area is to find and assist near-completers earn the degree. Project Graduate is similar to work we have done for many years. Students have access to great advising and financial support to finish their degrees too, noted Dr. Jay Parrent, MCC s Chief Student Affairs Officers.

Project Graduate is a research-based, statewide program designed to recruit and graduate former students who have earned a significant number of hours (80+ hours) but have not received a degree. The Council on Postsecondary Education launched the nationally recognized program in 2007, in collaboration with the state s public four-year universities. More than 1,500 students have earned their bachelor s degrees through the program, and another 1,000 were in the pipeline last fall. Project Graduate is the recipient of the 2012 Noel-Levitz Retention Award for Excellence and an important component in the state s college completion agenda.

Project Graduate will provide KCTCS students the opportunity to re-establish their career goals and design a pathway to completing their degree, said KCTCS President Michael B. McCall. Because having a postsecondary credential is critical in today s job market, this is the perfect time for students to re-enroll and finish their programs.

To qualify for Project Graduate, students must have earned 80 or more credit hours toward a bachelor s degree or 30 or more credit hours toward an associate degree.

The four-year institutions will waive application fees for qualifying students who both attend the fair and register for classes in the spring 2015 term. KCTCS does not charge application fees.

All public colleges and universities are participating, including:

Eastern Kentucky University
Kentucky State University
Morehead State University
Murray State University
Northern Kentucky University
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
Western Kentucky University
The 16 colleges of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System

Visit www.projectgraduate.org for additional information or to register for the online college fair.

MCC s Project Graduate contact is Aimee Wilkerson, Director of Enrollment Management. Contact Aimee for additional information by phoning 270.824.8696 or emailing aimee.wilkerson@kctcs.edu