Coastal Carolina University and the S.C. Technical College System signed a partnership agreement designed to enhance the seamless transfer of students and graduates from the 16 technical colleges in South Carolina to Coastal Carolina University. This agreement works to increase and encourage access to baccalaureate education for two-year college students, including minority and other underrepresented populations.

This partnership agreement formally recognizes the long-term collaboration between the state's technical college system and Coastal Carolina University.

"We are delighted to be collaborating with the SC Technical College System on this agreement," said David A. DeCenzo, Ph.D., president of Coastal Carolina University. "Students can begin their educational journey at one of the 16 technical colleges across the state then transfer seamlessly to Coastal Carolina University providing a clear path forward for individuals who are looking to get their bachelor's degree. This partnership works to build the educated workforce we need for a stronger economy."

"This memorandum of understanding is a tremendous opportunity for our students," said Dr. Tim Hardee, president for the System. "Accessibility, affordability and relevance are key tenets of the S.C. Technical College System. This collaborative agreement works to strengthen those fundamental values by expanding access for our students to a baccalaureate education with a dynamic university that has a rich history and a bright future."

Once implemented, the program will aid students in making a smoother transfer between institutions. It will help reduce lost time to graduation and relieve some of the added financial burden now associated with transferring.

Students who have completed an associate of arts or associate of science degree program at a South Carolina technical college with a grade of "C" or better in each course applicable to the AA or AS degree will enter Coastal Carolina University with junior standing and will have satisfied the Coastal Carolina University General Education Program Requirements.

All transfer courses will be accepted and applied to the attainment of the degree appropriate to the student's major.

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Coastal Carolina University is a public liberal arts institution located in Conway, S.C., near the Myrtle Beach resort area. The University offers 73 major fields of study as well as 25 master's degree programs, two educational specialist degrees and two Ph.D. program, one in marine science and another in education. More than 10,641 students from across the country and the world interact with a world-class faculty at CCU, which offers a nationally competitive NCAA Division I athletic program, an inspiring cultural calendar, and a tradition of community interaction with more than 190 student clubs and organizations. Visit coastal.edu.

The S.C. Technical College System. Comprised of 16 colleges located strategically across the state and two internationally renowned statewide programs: readySCâ„¢ and Apprenticeship Carolinaâ„¢, the SC Technical College System is dedicated to furthering economic and workforce development in South Carolina. As the state's largest higher education system, the SC Technical System educates more of our state's undergraduates than all the other public higher education institutions combined. Dedicated to making a quality higher education both accessible and affordable, the System plays a key role in educating and training South Carolina's workforce for the in-demand, high-skilled jobs of today and tomorrow. Learn more about the System by visiting www.sctechsystem.edu.