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>>Theresa Bierer: Our next story takes a look at Northern Arizona University's developing
partnerships with community colleges throughout the state, in an effort to save students money
on tuition. Many of these community college students are
looking for streamlined degree programs, like 90-30, where students spend three years at
a community college and finish the last thirty credit hours at Northern Arizona University.
Alison Brown: 90-30 is a degree that we developed because we wanted to allow students who had
accumulated a lot of credit hours at various institutions, usually community colleges but
not always to come to NAU and get a very focused degree and graduate with a bachelor's degree
from our institution. Bierer: 90-30 started with two programs, public
management is offered in person at eleven of Northern Arizona University's Extended
Campus sites and humanities can be done online. >>Brown: And we have about 200 students in
those two areas at present, so we are happy about that. Most of the students are in public
management and we are starting two new programs one in administration of justice and the other
in emergency services administration. >>Bierer: NAU has long had partnerships with
community colleges and the addition of 90/30 programs is strengthening some of those relationships.
Haley Lopez is a freshman at Coconino Community College who is planning to transfer to a university
to finish her degree. She says programs like 90-30 offer major savings to students.
>>Haley Lopez: I live by myself you know, I need money to go to college, so it's so
much more affordable to do it that way. >>Bierer: Haley Lopez has applied for financial
aid a process she describes as extensive, she says additional 90-30 program statewide
will create educational opportunities. >>Lopez: Yeah there are so many students struggling
to go to college, to be able to afford it and community college is so mph more affordable
so I think it's wonderful. >>Bierer: Some believe students who choose
a 90-30 program have greater chances for success. A study published in the book "Crossing the
Finish Line" suggests students who self-select into more rigorous programs have a better
chance of graduating. >>Brown: The thirty hours that we have the
students take when they get to NAU coupled with the ninety hours of very selected courses
that they take at the community college makes a very rigorous degree that if the data's
right and we hope it is, will show our students will do very well with this very prescribed
degree. >>Bierer: And NAU's 90-30 program has plenty
of room to grow statewide; educators are considering applied science and also technology management,
providing students the option to take their first three years at a community college before
completing the final year and earning a baccalaureate degree from Northern Arizona University.
Northern Arizona University has partnerships with community colleges throughout Arizona.