CEI partners with LC State to help students transition from associate to bachelor’s degree - East Idaho News
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CEI partners with LC State to help students transition from associate to bachelor’s degree

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IDAHO FALLS — There’s good news for College of Eastern Idaho students interested in also attending Lewis-Clark State College.

The two colleges signed a co-admission and co-enrollment agreement earlier this month. The agreement allow students at both colleges to be enrolled at and take classes from both institutions in order for students to work toward a four-year degree.

This marks the second co-enrollment agreement for CEI who partnered with the University of Idaho in 2017 when Eastern Idaho Technical College transitioned to a community college.

“CEI is delighted to partner with LC State to provide an innovative path beyond a two-year associate degree for students to transition to a bachelor’s degree,” CEI President Rick Aman said in a LC State news release. “This agreement will help immensely toward the goal of improving regional high school students to ‘Go On’ within the Idaho system after graduation. During these COVID times, a student could complete an associate degree all online at CEI and then continue with online learning at LC State.”

The admission and enrollment agreement will help CEI students who have completed an associate degree transfer those credits towards a bachelor’s degree at LC State, CEI spokesman Todd Wightman said.

He said this applies for CEI students whether they attend on-campus at LC State or do online courses. Wightman added that students must be admitted to both institutions to be a part of the partnership, and students are encouraged to apply to LC State before starting classes at CEI.

“This is the thought — a student who comes to CEI and co-enrolls at the same with LC State, they can think of themselves day one as a university student,” he explained. “They already have a pathway and a plan to think beyond the associate degree at CEI.”

College of Eastern Idaho
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Wightman said when the two colleges were looking into this agreement, CEI and LC State identified about 19 students who had already applied to both colleges this fall but ultimately decided to start at CEI.

“There is interest,” Wightman said.

The news release explains that the management of the partnership and agreements will be coordinated through the enrollment services offices at the institutions. It also mentions that each institution will have an advisor to work with students participating in the partnership on degree requirements and course planning.

“Partnering with CEI on co-admission and enrollment will facilitate student awareness, interest and access in moving along the education ladder from CEI associate degree programs to LC State programs; making it easier and potentially more affordable for students to earn a bachelor’s degree,” LC State President Cynthia Pemberton said in a news release. “We are excited to be working with CEI to make next level degree pursuit as seamless as possible.”

Wightman said that students will pay the per credit fee that each college has established for their courses, rather than being charged full tuition by both schools.

“That way, they’re not paying more money and getting double charged,” he said. “So it really becomes a blend the further along we go.”

Along with the co-admission and co-enrollment partnership, the schools have a financial aid consortium agreement. This allows CEI students to enroll in course work at LC State and have those credits applicable to their overall financial aid eligibility at CEI, according to the news release.

“It really is a cool thing that’s going on here. It gives students so many more options,” Wightman said. “Everybody’s excited about this. I think it will open the door for a lot of people.”

For more information, visit CEI’s website.

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