APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Fox Valley Technical College is teaming up with Madison College to provide more class options and financial aid opportunities for students, especially those looking to transfer after two years.
The Collegiate Transfer Program provides more class options on the Appleton campus, but it also allows more opportunities for students to receive financial aid to cover their two-year experience.
“Essentially in this partnership, we are one institution serving students together,” said Madison College Provost, Dr. Turina Bakken.
“We have transfer agreements and transfer certificates that allow students to go to UW-Green Bay or UW-Oshkosh and so on but they’ve not been financial aid-able,” said FVTC Dean of General Studies, Dr. Jennifer Lanter. “Now students in our district can take classes here on campus and they’ll be able to have financial aid to take those general education credits…It’ll be 60 credits that she’ll be able to complete. So that’s two years of a four-year degree, and that financial aid would be really important.”
At four-year universities, students can start their first few years undeclared and work things out as they take classes, and still receive financial aid.
“The technical college system is different. You have to have an established program in order to get financial aid,” Lanter explained. “To be able to provide this opportunity now with college costs increasing, we’re a very affordable option, so this will allow that affordable option but with the financial aid included.”
Madison College President Dr. Jack Daniels III and FVTC Chief Academic Officer and Executive Vice President Chris Matheny sign the Collegiate Transfer Program agreement. (PHOTO/WTAQ News)
Lanter says their target audience for the program would be anybody who is looking to transfer to a four-year institution.
“So take, for example, the high school student, maybe even who’s taking dual credit classes, those classes would count towards this as well. Then [they] would be able to travel on to a four-year institution,” Lanter said. “[Someone] maybe even who doesn’t know exactly what they want to go into, they want to take a variety of classes, this is going to be a great program allowing them to be undecided on a major going forward and explore a lot of things…e don’t have a psychology major but this will allow you to take two, three, four different psychology classes to see if that’s something that you might be interested in. The same would be true for science, the same would be true for math, and other areas throughout general education.”
She says it provides a seamless transfer to a number of their four-year partners if students meet a certain set of requirements a the end of their two-year experience, giving students an even better opportunity to transfer successfully. That will make a big difference for Savannah Mujkanovic, who’s working to gain her general education before transferring to get a bachelor’s degree in psychology – and eventually, a master’s in clinical psychology.
“Watching my savings account drained is, as a one-income family, very stressful. I think this will just give me more opportunity to not worry about that aspect and focus on my studies,” Mujkanovic told WTAQ News. “I think this is really just an advancement for all…This is gonna hopefully give me new opportunities to advance.”
The program is also opening the door for classes that Madison College offers, and Fox Valley Technical College does not, to be offered in-person at the Appleton campus.
“[FVTC] already offers an enormous menu of options, and we’re gonna supplement that. So that students can get the 60 credits they need to launch their bachelor’s degree career which comes afterward,” said Madison College Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, Brian Short. “It’s really a seamless partnership. Students can come here, they don’t have to leave the Fox Valley in order to complete this degree, and they’re not even forced to go online. If they want in-person classes, Madison College will be offering those in-person classes here in the Fox Valley.”
For more information about different programs offered at Fox Valley Technical College, head to their website.
