2-Year Colleges & Transfer Programs
COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Community colleges are two-year public institutions granting associate degrees, certificates, and diplomas. They have open enrollment, meaning that students can attend as long as they have earned a high school diploma or equivalent. Upon graduating from a community college, many students choose to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a bachelor’s degree.
Connecticut has twelve community colleges, with Naugatuck Valley being the closest one to BHS with campuses in Waterbury and Danbury. Use the links below to learn more about the academic offerings, visiting options, and process for applying. Also, the BHS counselors typically take a group of interested juniors and seniors to visit NVCC in the spring, so look out for more information about a possible field trip.
Naugatuck Valley Community College Links:
FREE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
In 2019 the Connecticut State College and University system launched the Pledge to Advance Connecticut (PACT), which provides funding to students to cover the gap between federal and state grants (Pell and Roberta Willis grants) and the cost of attending community college (tuition and mandatory fees).
PACT will support students who are entering the fall 2020 semester and beyond. To qualify, students must:
- Be a Connecticut high school graduate;
- Be a first-time college student;
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and accept all awards;
- Attend college full-time (12+ credits/semester);
- Participate in a degree or credit-bearing certificate program;
- Remain in good academic standing; and
- Apply and register by July 15, 2020 for priority consideration.
Visit ct.edu/pact to learn more.
TRANSFER PROGRAMS
Connecticut has several transfer programs available to students:
With this option, students complete two years at a community college with 28 different majors from which to choose. Upon successfully completing all courses and meeting the academic requirements, students are guaranteed admission to one of the Connecticut State Universities (i.e., Central, Eastern, Southern, or Western), where they complete the additional schooling necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree.
CSCU College of Technology Pathways
Students interested in a technology or engineering discipline complete two years at a community college. Upon successfully completing all courses and meeting the academic requirements, students are guaranteed admission to one of the Connecticut universities offering degrees in technology and/or engineering (i.e., Eastern Connecticut State University, Central Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, Fairfield University, the University of Connecticut, the University of Hartford, and the University of Bridgeport), where they complete the additional schooling necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree.
UConn’s Guaranteed Admission Program (GAP)
Students complete two years at a community college in one of three areas of study: Liberal Arts and Sciences; Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources; or Business. Upon successfully completing all courses and meeting the academic requirements, students are guaranteed admission to the University of Connecticut, where they complete the additional schooling necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree.