Monroe College Jumpstart Program Offers Tuition-free College Credits for High School Seniors

Sept. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- The Monroe College Jumpstart Program gives high school seniors the opportunity to get a tuition-free head start on their college education.  In a fifteen-week course, the students study with Monroe faculty members and earn three college credits.   The sixth year of Jumpstart will begin on Monroe’s New Rochelle campus on Saturday, September 24.
“Besides having the opportunity to earn college credits, participants in the program will also be able to explore various career professions before formally entering college,” said Lisa Scorca, deputy director of Admissions and coordinator of the Jumpstart Program. “For example, if a high school senior has an interest in a career in accounting or a law enforcement, then he or she can get a literal ‘jump start’ on that education and that career even before college.”  Last year, more than 500 high school students benefited from this educational opportunity.
   Jumpstart courses are taught by Monroe College faculty in a number of fields, including business and accounting, criminal justice, information technology, allied health, hospitality management and the culinary arts and from the college’s newest academic major, early childhood education.   (Final course offerings are determined by student interest, and faculty and space availability.)
   “Jumpstart has numerous benefits,” said Dr. Janice Girardi, academic dean on the New Rochelle campus.  “There’s the obvious academic advantage and they also get real-life lessons in balancing academic obligations with after-school jobs and their outside social lives.   For students who are serious about achieving, this is an unmatched opportunity.”
   Students who successfully complete Jumpstart are eligible for tuition grants if they enroll at Monroe. Jumpstart applicants must be high school seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or better.  They must submit the Jumpstart application which includes a placement test and a 350-word (typed) essay on “Why College is Important to Me.”  An official high school transcript is also required.  Applications are available at high schools throughout Westchester County or they can also be obtained by contacting Scorca at 914-740-6807 or via e-mail at lscorca@monroecollege.edu.  Completed applications must be submitted by the start of the Jumpstart semester, September 24th.

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About Monroe College

Founded in 1933, Monroe College offers a wide range of Associate, Bachelor’s and Masters degree programs to its 7000+ students. It has campuses in the Bronx, downtown New Rochelle, and on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, as well as a vibrant online campus. Monroe offers Master’s degree programs in business management and criminal justice; Bachelor’s degree programs in accounting, business management, criminal justice, early childhood education, general business, health services administration, hospitality management information technology, public accounting, and public health; Associate’s degree programs in accounting, baking and pastry arts, business administration, criminal justice, culinary arts, hospitality management, information technology, medical administration, medical assisting, nursing, and pharmacy technician; and a Certificate program in practical nursing. For more information about Monroe College, visit www.MonroeCollege.edu.