A new partnership between the University of Victoria and North Island College helps students attending college in small communities make a smooth transition to university.
“What it does do is give students in more remote communities the confidence that they have an assured pathway to get to UVic by starting at North Island College,” said the college’s president, Jan Lindsay, on Wednesday.
About 90 students have already signed on with the “dual and guaranteed admission” program and have shared more than $90,000 in scholarships and secured seats at both institutions.
By attending North Island College for the first two years, students can enjoy lower tuition fees and keep their living costs lower by remaining at home or in a more affordable housing market.
The tuition savings amount to $10,000 over two years, Lindsay said.
“That’s really significant, especially as the cost of education has really crept up,” she said.
NIC is also exploring ways to link its engineering programs with those at UVic.
The college has seen a significant growth in enrolment over the last three years, due mostly to the improving economic climate, Lindsay said.
NIC opened in 1975 has an 80,000-square-kilometre region, with students attending classes in Campbell River, Comox Valley, Port Alberni, Mount Waddington and through distance learning.
The new program allows students to stay in their home communities for two years of college “and know that they are admitted to the University of Victoria, they are eligible for scholarships and can get into residence,” said UVic president David Turpin.
The new program “will become a very important pathway,” he said.
