Wor-Wic Receives Grant to Fuel Student Success
SALISBURY, Md. – Wor-Wic Community College has announced that they will benefit from a state-philanthropic partnership that will allocate funds toward a program to help ensure more students graduate on time.
The funding comes from the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) initiative, which was originally created at the City University of New York. ASAP seeks to eliminate barriers by providing students with a comprehensive suite of financial, academic, and personal resources and services, ensuring that they stay on track and graduate on time.
At Wor-Wic, students in the ASAP program can expect to receive enhanced tutoring, financial aid for transportation and materials, and wraparound supports tailored to adult and nontraditional students.
“We have seen this work at other colleges, so we’re glad to be able to offer it on the Lower Shore,” said Dr. Michael Hutmaker, vice president for student affairs. “Students will be able to attend school full-time and complete their degree in a shorter amount of time. This will allow them to move on to the workforce or transfer to a four-year school sooner. These components all lead to meeting the college’s goals.”
The program will be supported at Wor-Wic thanks to grants from the Maryland Partnership for Proven Programs, who put $14.4 million in matching funds to four community colleges in the state to support implementation of ASAP. The Wor-Wic foundation plans to help finance the matching portion. Hutmaker said the goal is to enroll about 135 students in the program, starting small with an initial cohort and gradually expanding.
Michael Hutmaker, vice president of student affairs at Wor-Wic, said the program is designed to help students focus on academics by providing dedicated advising and financial support. “Sometimes students don’t have the luxury of being dedicated students for 15 straight weeks,” Hutmaker said. “This program will help them stay organized and focused.”
To learn more about the ASAP initiative, click here.
