Ferrum sets out path for transfer students with associate degrees

Ferrum College is making a pledge to transfer students who have graduated from Virginia community colleges.

Starting next fall, students with appropriate associate degrees will be able to finish their bachelor’s degrees within two years or they’ll pay no tuition for their remaining coursework. 

“Today, nearly forty percent of students who graduate from a Virginia community college need three or more additional years to finish a bachelor's degree because their new college will not accept many of their credits. This is not what they expected — it's frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive,” Ferrum College President David Johns said in a statement outlining the policy the college is calling the “Ferrum Promise.”

The college in Franklin County already guarantees admission from all community colleges in Virginia. The new policy applies to students who are enrolled full-time, enter with an appropriate associate’s degree from a Virginia community college and meet certain academic requirements.

The arrangement applies to many majors offered by the college, including agriculture, business, criminal justice, ecotourism,  environmental science, recreation leadership, social work and teacher education.