Arizona State University (ASU) has implemented a new strategy for tackling the challenge of getting more nurses to complete their bachelor’s degree. In Arizona, 28 percent of adults aged 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree, compared with a nationwide percentage of 30 according to the US Census Bureau. Combined with the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation that 80 percent of registered nurses hold bachelor’s degrees by 2020, ASU wants to help more nurses receive their BSN.

The most popular way to pay a reduced tuition rate is by transferring from a community college. In 2016, ASU saw the number of transfer enrollments more than double compared to the prior decade. There was a 124 percent increase from 2007-08 to 2016-17 according to ASUNow.edu. Now ASU is working closely with community colleges to make transferring as simple as possible.

ASU has set up a transfer agreement with the local Maricopa community colleges called Maricopa-ASU Pathways Programs (MAPP). The program specifies which courses are needed for each major so students can avoid wasting time and money on classes that don’t apply to their degree choice. Students who meet the requirements of the transfer program are guaranteed admission to ASU and get help from ASU advisers while still in community college.

Dimi Wassef, an ASU community college transfer student, tells ASUNow.edu, “In our culture, there’s this idea that right after high school you have to go to a university and move away, but the community colleges offer a good transition and prepares you. It’s a more approachable setting than throwing yourself into a very complicated university setting, where you don’t use all the resources if you don’t know about them.”

There are several other ways that students can earn a four-year nursing degree from ASU including rural partnership programs and fast-track degree options. To learn more about ASU’s community college transfer program to reduce tuition for nursing students, visit here.

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