Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) announced the launch of the CT State Transfer Champion Scholarship last week at the inauguration of John Maduko, M.D., CT State Community College’s first president. The scholarship commits $100,000 to support transfer students from any of CT State Community College’s 12 campuses in seamlessly continuing their academic journey at Southern.
The first cohort of scholarship recipients will enter Southern in fall 2024. The university has committed $100,000 to be awarded to 25 qualifying students per year, over two years. The hope is to renew or expand the program after the initial pilot period.
“At Southern Connecticut State University, we believe in the transformative power of education, and we’re willing to invest in it,” said Dwayne Smith, interim president of Southern.
“Many of our scholars are the first in their family to attend college, and others are looking for an affordable, flexible route to pursuing their career dreams – often while managing work, life, and caregiving responsibilities. Our transfer student admissions are up 30% over last year, and we want to remove any barriers to their degree attainment that we can.”
Julie Edstrom, vice president of enrollment management at Southern, says the scholarship recognizes the excellent value of continuing the path to a four-year degree affordably in Connecticut.
“Our dedicated transfer admissions team works closely with community college students to ensure their courses will seamlessly fulfill bachelor’s degree requirements, setting them up for success and minimizing course redundancies,” said Edstrom. “Transfer students currently make up close to 40% of our undergraduate population, and 60% of those students come from CT State. We are building a presence on their campuses and helping them begin planning their next steps early.”
In order to qualify, students must be admitted to Southern for the fall semester and have earned a minimum of 45 credits at CT State Community College with a 2.7 transfer GPA or greater. In addition, they must commit to full-time enrollment throughout the course of their scholarship, which will be automatically reviewed and renewed if in good standing.
“This generous gift opens doors of opportunity and underscores our collective commitment to making education more affordable and accessible,” said Maduko. “We are grateful for this partnership, which enables more students to embark on their journey toward a bachelor’s degree at Southern and exemplifies the power of collaboration in advancing education that supports our existing transfer pathway agreements.”
CT State students are encouraged to apply to Southern early as scholarships will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Fall and spring 2025 applications will be available August 1, 2024, at SouthernCT.edu/ctstate.
For more information about transfer admissions or the CT State Transfer Champion Scholarship, contact Carla Flynn at flynnc15@southernct.edu or (203) 392-7109.
