New program will enhance student access, affordability

HARRISONBURG, Va. – A joint program announced today by Blue Ridge Community College and James Madison University will open new doors for students. The Bridge to Madison transfer program, one of only a few similar programs in Virginia, provides academic and social support to help students gain admittance to and succeed at JMU.

Under the agreement, students who applied to JMU but have not been accepted through the regular admissions process can be considered for selection into the program. These students will be able to live on the university campus while taking their first year of college coursework at Blue Ridge Community College. The arrangement lowers costs for program students and provides academic support from both institutions. Students successfully completing the program will be able to attend JMU full time their sophomore year.    

“Thanks to this program we’ll be able to serve students in new and innovative ways, increasing access, enhancing affordability and expanding opportunities for success by better meeting individual student needs. There is no single pathway to higher education; through this program we are providing another way for students to pursue their educational dreams” said JMU President Jonathan Alger.  

Blue Ridge Community College and JMU will support approximately 50 potential students through the Bridge to Madison program in the first year.

“The Bridge to Madison Program is yet another example of how the longstanding partnership enjoyed between Blue Ridge Community College and James Madison University results in such great benefits to the Commonwealth,” said Dr. John Downey, president of Blue Ridge Community College.  “I’m delighted that even more students will benefit from a supportive academic pathway through BRCC to achieve a baccalaureate from JMU!”

Bridge to Madison is the latest cooperative program to develop from the longstanding and ongoing partnership between Blue Ridge Community College and JMU. 

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