Joint Admissions Program

Students who matriculated (enrolled in a degree program) prior to fall 2009 and who choose to be covered by the Joint Admissions Program and/or the Commonwealth Transfer Compact will be required to complete their associate's degree by August 2013. These students must matriculate at a Massachusetts State College or UMASS Campus by fall 2014 in order to take advantage of these benefits.

Students who choose not to continue with Joint Admissions and/or the Commonwealth Transfer Compact have the option of being covered under the MassTransfer Policy. These students must meet the requirements of the 2009-2010 BCC catalog.

 The Joint Admissions Program is an agreement between the community colleges of Massachusetts and the four campuses of UMASS and the eight state colleges. It guarantees state college or university admission to eligible students who meet certain requirements. Joint Admission guarantees admission to specific programs at the University of Massachusetts and state colleges. Each year Massachusetts state colleges and universities evaluate BCC’s programs for eligibility. Not all colleges or university campuses approve the same programs.

Participation in the program does not obligate you to attend a particular college. It simply gives you the opportunity for barrier-free admission. You can still apply to other colleges through the regular transfer procedures. For more information contact the Admissions Office or the Transfer Affairs office.

Eligibility
Students enrolled in designated programs at Massachusetts community colleges are eligible. Students who have previously attended a state college or one of the four campuses of UMASS may not participate in a Joint Admissions program with that college or campus. There is no longer any need to sign up for Joint Admissions. If you graduate in an eligible program with a minimum GPA of 2.5, you will receive the benefits of Joint Admissions when you matriculate at the four-year school.

To qualify, students must complete an associate degree in an approved joint admission program with a G.P.A. of 2.5 or better, and plan to transfer to specified programs at the University or state college.

Note: If you choose to transfer before graduation from Bristol Community College, you will no longer be eligible for the Joint Admissions Program.

How to participate
You will need to submit an Intent to Enroll form to the four-year college and complete the Joint Admissions Transfer Process.

Changing your major while in the Joint Admissions Program
You may change your major, but in order to participate in the Joint Admissions Program you must complete an associate’s degree in an eligible Joint Admissions program. You must check to see whether your new program has a comparable major at the college or university campus that you wish to attend.

For more information contact Transfer Affairs ext. 2227.

Approved Academic Programs
For a list of approved academic programs between specific schools, visit the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education's Joint Admissions and MassTransfer Tutition waiver website.

Joint Admission with UMASS
The Joint Admissions program with UMASS guarantees admission to a comparable college at the University. It does not guarantee admission to a specific major. For example, a Business Transfer student would be guaranteed admission to the College of Business and Industry at UMASS Dartmouth. The Joint Admissions Program with the state colleges guarantees admission to a comparable major.

MassTransfer Tutition Waiver Program (fomerly TAP)

The MassTransfer Tuition Waiver Program allows you a 33% reduction in in-state tuition at a state college or the University of Massachusetts.

Eligibility
To be eligible, students must graduate from BCC in a Joint Admissions Program with a 3.0 GPA and maintain a 3.0 GPA at the state college or university.

The student is entitled to Tuition Advantage for the two years of matriculation immediately following their BCC graduation. Students may attend the state colleges or University as part time or full time, but will only qualify for Tuition Advantage for two years following their BCC graduation.

In 2008-2009, Tuition Advantage saved full-time students approximatley $300 per year at the State Colleges and $467 per year at the UMASS Campuses.