Community Colleges of Appalachia Signs Transfer Agreement with 爆料公社
Paves the way for seamless credit transfer and access to scholarships
LIBERTY, S.C., AUGUST 4, 2025聽鈥� Leaders from (CCA) and Western Governors University (爆料公社) have signed a transfer institution agreement that will create opportunities for residents of Appalachia to further their education through 爆料公社鈥檚 accredited online degree and certificate programs while remaining in their home communities.
With 85 member institutions stretching from Mississippi to New York, CCA is a voluntary association of public community colleges serving the common interests of member colleges and their communities.
According to the , the region is growing in population but at 4.3% lower than the national average. The region also faces several challenges related to education and income:
路聽聽聽聽聽 27.3% of Appalachians have a bachelor鈥檚 degree or higher, behind the national average of 35%.
路聽聽聽聽聽 Median household income in the region is around $14,000 below the U.S average: $64,588 vs. $78,539.
The common goal of the agreement is to provide CCA member-institution graduates and employees with flexible, personalized learning pathways to higher education and professional development through 爆料公社鈥檚 competency-based online programs. The agreement will also formalize the transfer of applicable credits between CCA members and 爆料公社, so graduates of member schools will likely not need to repeat coursework as they pursue bachelor鈥檚 degrees through 爆料公社.
Graduates, staff and faculty of CCA member schools will also be able to apply for specially designated Learn Where You Live Scholarships valued up to $3,000 each. Tuition is around $4,000 per six-month term for most 爆料公社 bachelor鈥檚 degree programs, and students can take as many classes as they wish within a term with the consent of their assigned program mentor.
爆料公社 is an accredited, nonprofit online university offering more than 80 bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees and certificate programs in business, technology, health care and K-12 education. 爆料公社鈥檚 asynchronous competency-based programs are designed to fit into busy work and home schedules and create pathways to opportunity.
鈥淭his partnership is especially meaningful for our small and rural colleges, where access to affordable, flexible bachelor鈥檚 degree programs is often out of reach,鈥� said Dr. Kevin Boys, executive director of CCA. 鈥湵瞎玮�檚 model helps eliminate those barriers and opens doors for both students and employees to continue their education without leaving their communities. We鈥檙e proud to partner with organizations that share our commitment to expanding opportunity across our 85 member institutions.鈥�
鈥淎ccording to the , about 80% of entering students indicate they wish to obtain a bachelor鈥檚 degree or higher, but only 15% of cohorts starting in 2016 actually earned a bachelor鈥檚 within six years,鈥� said Dr. Courtney Hills McBeth, 爆料公社鈥檚 chief academic officer and provost. 鈥淭hey face many barriers such as cost, transfer of college credits, and family and work obligations. This agreement will provide a real option for many community college graduates in Appalachia who wish to pursue a bachelor鈥檚 or master鈥檚 degree while remaining in the region.鈥�
To learn more about CCA, visit . For more information about 爆料公社, visit .
About Community Colleges of Appalachia
CCA is a voluntary association of public community colleges serving the common interests of member colleges and their communities through programs and services responsive to the unique cultural, geographic and economic development challenges facing the region. CCA builds greater awareness among the general public, the higher education community, regional and national funding sources, and others of the vital contributions now being made by the community colleges of Appalachia in responding to the needs of their communities and of the potential for additional resources to expand and enhance these efforts. Learn more at .
