Two New Pathways to Higher Education
QUEENS COMMITMENT AND ROYALUP INVEST IN QUEENS’ BACK YARD By: Michele Huggins
Six years ago, a study from Harvard and UC Berkeley ranked Charlotte 50th out of 50 cities in the United States for economic mobility. Since then, leaders and task forces have looked for ways to change this, and Queens has been part of that effort. One of the most recent ways Queens is contributing is by making higher education more accessible and affordable with the Queens Commitment. In April, Queens announced this scholarship program that will help Mecklenburg County students pursue a four-year bachelor’s degree.
“Te number one way to affect socioeconomic mobility is
a four-year degree,” explained Jen Johnson, vice president of enrollment management and marketing at Queens. “Te best thing we can do is help more students fund their education, and we wanted to address this right in our back yard.” Te Queens Commitment promises a $10,000 minimum annual scholarship to admitted students from public, private and charter schools in Mecklenburg County. Johnson sees it as a benefit for young adults seeking higher education, as well as a boon for Queens by increasing awareness about the university and options for access, in addition to welcoming new students for their talents, skills and experience.
“Te barrier to college for many students is financial, and
until now Queens wasn’t always viewed as accessible to all students,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Chief of Staff LaTarjza Henry. “Tis gives us the opportunity to highlight this
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local gem and local university to students, and speaks highly of Queens by valuing what we do here in Charlotte by really investing in local children.” During a period of many unknowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Queens Commitment is also an incentive for families who have college-ready students that may choose to stay closer to home. As soon as the announcement was made, counselors at schools throughout Mecklenburg County were made aware, and six students from the county enrolled at Queens for the 2020-2021 academic year. For Central Piedmont Community College students seeking
a four-year degree, there’s the RoyalUp program that launched in August. Students with a 2.5 GPA at Central Piedmont have guaranteed admission to Queens to complete a bachelor’s degree after successfully completing an associate degree. RoyalUp students are also guaranteed the Queens Commitment scholarship and will receive individualized admissions assistance, financial aid counseling, collaborative academic advising and career exploration support. “Te RoyalUp program and Queens Commitment help
breach the educational gap by giving students an opportunity for a path to economic mobility,” said Edith McElory, associate vice president of academic affairs – transfer and precollege at Central Piedmont, “which in turn benefits both institutions, the community and the Charlotte region at large.”
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