State’s County Colleges See STARS

By Kim, Ki

Industry Report

THE STATE’S county colleges have enjoyed climbing enrollment in recent years, and they are about to get another boost from the NJ STARS merit-based scholarship program. The New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Rewards Scholarship program, the first of its kind in the country, will be extended to cover transfers to four- year state schools this summer.

NJ STARS, which took effect in June 2004, covers tuition and some fees at the state’s 19 community colleges for eligible high school students graduating in the top fifth of their classes. From 2004 to 2005, freshmen enrollment in the program jumped by 50% to 1,731. Another sizable hike is expected this fall as NJ STARS II kicks into gear.

Fried-Goodnight

Under STARS II, NJ STARS community college students with at least a 3.0 GPA can transfer to a four-year state institution and have $4,000 of the tuition covered, with the balance paid by the selected school. State Senator Wayne R. Bryant (D-Camden) sponsored both versions of the scholarship program in the state legislature.

Maude Fried-Goodnight, executive director of enrollment at Cumberland County College, expects at least 35 of her 42 graduating STARS students to take advantage of STARS II later this year. In fall 2005 the college enrolled 134 STARS freshmen out of an incoming class of about 750, a 212% surge over the prior year.

“It’s a good deal,” she says, adding that the STARS II program “validates [students'] choice of Cumberland,” as many are interested in extending their college education.

Jacob Farbman, a spokesman for the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, says that the program was shaped in part to keep more students in the state upon graduation. Research indicates that about 95% of students attending community colleges tend to work in state after graduating, he said. “New Jersey’s best students-some who don’t qualify for other forms of financial aid-and the state win [with the program],” he adds.

E-mail to kkim@njbiz.com

Copyright Snowden Publications, Inc. Mar 6, 2006