By MACKS PREWITT
@MacksPrewittETC

Freshmen planning to transfer to the University of North Texas at Dallas are eligible for a dual enrollment program that offers scholarship money, mentoring and a smooth transition from two-year college to four-year university.

Participation in the Dallas Connect program puts students on a clear path to bachelor’s degrees beginning in their first semester at Eastfield.

“Anytime we have this close relationship with a senior institution like UNT Dallas, it’s a huge plus for the student population,” speech professor Laura Carr said. “Because it makes it so much easier for them to take their course work here and feel so comfortable that when they move into the last two years of their studies, it goes seamlessly.”

Benefits include dual admission to Eastfield and UNT Dallas, scholarship money from both schools, mentoring from UNT Dallas faculty, personalized academic advising and access to UNT Dallas services while attending Eastfield.

Tuition rates at UNT Dallas are locked from the time students enter the program.

Students studying business, criminal justice and education are eligible.

They must be recent high school graduates, have completed 18 hours or fewer at Eastfield by Dec. 31 and be classified as “college ready” or one semester from “college ready.”

Ubaldisi Guadarrama, a criminal justice major, said he would be interested in the program.

“I think this would be great, because it has more opportunity for students to focus more and do their work faster,” he said.

Associate Vice President Kimberly Lowry said Dallas Connect is tailored to Eastfield.

“We identified that UNT Dallas is one of the top transfer institutions for our students,” she said. “Then we dug a little deeper and we found out the top three majors students pursue once they transfer is business, education and criminal justice.”

She went on to say that the plan is to get students interested and eventually build the program up to include other majors and schools.

Students in the program must maintain a 2.25 GPA and be enrolled full-time.

They will participate in regular meetings with advisers and career counselors, Dallas Connect events and campus leadership and service activities.

Eastfield students interested in Dallas Connect should visit the Advising Center in C-120.

https://eastfieldnews.com/2017/10/03/8881/