Andrew College announced the launch of the Summer Bridge Program, an initiative aimed at giving underprepared students a jump start on their college careers. Fifteen scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded for the Summer Bridge Program.

This program is designed for students who are admitted under “conditional” or “provisional” admission to Andrew College. Typically, this means that the student’s SAT or ACT score requires that they take English and/or math placement tests prior to registration. Through the Summer Bridge Program, students will be enrolled in courses structured to prepare them for college-level work in the fall.

According to Learning Support Division Coordinator Professor Katie Dodrill, the program should serve students in several ways in their preparations for higher education.

“This program should help students get their learning support courses completed before coming in the fall, which will help them graduate on time, and also provides them with the opportunity to build friendships and get acquainted with the school and the community,” she said. “We are excited to offer this program as an option for our students who need it.”

The program is set up as a cohort of students who will live in the dorms, dine together, take courses together, and participate in activities together to build friendships and to become acquainted with the college atmosphere.

During the summer before their first Fall semester, students will take the Andrew College Experience (ACE) course, appropriate math and/or English learning support courses, as well as other college-level courses that do not require pre-requisite courses. If they earn a “C” or higher in the ACE course as well as any of the required English or math learning support courses, their admission status will be updated to “unconditional.”  If they do not earn a "C" in each course during Bridge, they will have the opportunity to re-take the courses once more during a regular semester.

Throughout the semester, faculty and staff on the Bridge team will assist students by teaching them skills needed for success in college. The Bridge Program connects students with campus resources so that they can thrive at Andrew College.

There is no separate application for the Bridge Program. The program is open to any incoming freshman student awarded “conditional” or “provisional” acceptance to Andrew College. 

Students who elect to attend the Summer Bridge Program are enrolled in at least two courses for a total of at least six hours. The cost for the Bridge Program is based on summer tuition and room rates, and is dependent on the number of registered hours. Financial aid is available for the Summer Bridge Program for qualified applicants.

To see if you qualify for financial aid for the Summer Bridge Program, students will need to fill out the FAFSA form for 2018-2019 school year. (In addition, the student will need to fill out the FAFSA form for 2019-2020 for Fall).

The Bridge Program runs from May 30 – July 26, 2019. The website for the Summer Bridge Program is www.andrewcollege.edu/bridgeprogram.  Information on summer courses may be found in the Andrew College summer schedule, located on Andrew’s website under “Academics,” “Calendar/Course Schedule.” Students who are interested in the program should contact Katie Dodrill at [email protected] for more information.