By Joining the ‘Massachusetts Guarantee,’ Curry College Provides Community College Students a Transfer Pathway to a Four-Year Degree

Curry College announced today that it joins the Massachusetts Independent College Transfer Guarantee (Massachusetts Guarantee) - a statewide effort to establish systematic transfer pathways between Massachusetts community colleges and the state’s four-year independent institutions. The Massachusetts Guarantee mitigates credit loss and increases student success by ensuring admission into participating independent colleges for associate degree-holding students. The initiative builds upon the state’s public institution transfer policy and expands transfer options for Massachusetts’ community college students.

Since signing the Massachusetts Guarantee Memorandum of Agreement, Curry College will begin accepting transfer applications from Massachusetts community college graduates who have met the minimum GPA requirement of 2.5 as soon as January 2021 for guaranteed admission. Admissions fees will be waived for Massachusetts Guarantee applicants.

The new transfer agreement caps a prominent list of Curry’s most recent transfer agreements including partnerships with Bristol Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Massasoit Community College, Roxbury Community College, and Quincy College. With the new agreement, students from all 15 Massachusetts community colleges will now have a direct pathway to a Curry College degree including the College’s signature academic programs in business, criminal justice, education, and psychology.

“By partnering with our area community colleges, our number one goal is to remove barriers to student success and to provide their students a direct pathway to a bachelor’s degree,” says Michael Bosco, assistant vice president of Academic Affairs. “Signing the Massachusetts Guarantee agreement is a win-win. Students are ensured a seamless transfer process without worry of time or credit loss and we gain determined, hard-working community college students that only add to the rich diversity in our vibrant learning community on campus.”

The Massachusetts Guarantee is being spearheaded by the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts (AICUM), in partnership with the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges (MACC), and each are co-signers to the Agreement.

“NEBHE is very pleased to work with a distinguished group of state and institutional partners to create expanded transfer pathways for students in Massachusetts,” said Michael K. Thomas, president & CEO of NEBHE, “Stronger links between our two-year institutions and our outstanding independent colleges and universities simply makes sense. The Massachusetts Guarantee will expand the range of high-quality, affordable bachelor’s degree programs available -- benefiting our students, our institutions and our workforce.”

The President of AICUM, Richard Doherty expressed that “many of our member institutions are thrilled to be collaborating with NEBHE in this important effort to promote transfer pathways for Massachusetts community college graduates. Many community college students in Massachusetts have found our member institutions to be a highly accessible and affordable option for transfer to complete their bachelor’s degree and jumpstart their careers. This new initiative will expand opportunities for more seamless transitions and allow even more transfer students to attend an institution in Massachusetts that best meets their educational aspirations  and increases their opportunity to be successful.”