Transferring from a community college to a four-year university can be challenging for a lot of reasons, but cost is near the top.
In October 2013, Northern Kentucky University and Gateway Community and Technical College partnered to make that transition a little easier.
The Gateway2NKU program, the first of its kind in the region, creates pathways for Gateway students to transfer to NKU and continue their academic careers.
The program was an immediate success and continues to grow in popularity.
In its first month 42 students enrolled according to data from NKU Transfer Services and Gateway. Gateway2NKU now serves 306 students and another 58 have already transferred to NKU.
Republic Bank has now stepped up to provide additional assistance to those students with a $20,000 donation to fund a scholarship program.
The Republic Bank Gateway2NKU Scholarship Fund will provide financial assistance to Gateway Students ready to make the jump to NKU.
Tom Saelinger, Republic Bank Market President, said the program represents the financial institutions ongoing commitment to support educational opportunities in the Northern Kentucky region.
“Many times, the biggest barrier to completing a degree at NKU after transferring from a community college is the difference in tuition costs,” Saelinger said. “We want to help offset the per-credit-hour difference between NKU and Gateway to help these students earn their degrees.”
The difference in tuition rates between Gateway and NKU is $206 per credit hour for Kentucky residents.
That difference can be a burden for any student, but creates an additional challenge for nontraditional students who are trying to juggle school, family obligations and work.
That is the challenge facing the first two recipients of Republic Bank Gateway2NKU Scholarship, who say the extra help will allow them to focus more on the classroom.
Bobby Polick, 35, of Bellevue, was a heavy equipment operator for Schwan’s who enjoyed working SAT math problems in his spare time.
“My wife got tired of me doing math for fun, and she and my family said ‘you’re too smart not to have gone to college,’ so in 2011, I applied and was accepted,” Polick said
The self-described math geek became the head math tutor at Gateway and graduated with an associate degree in finance with a business accounting option, in 2015.
“My kids say, there was an accident at a calculator factory and I was the result of it,” Polick said.
Polick has three children, two daughters and a son, all teenagers, and works for a major financial entity as a customer service representative.
He said his wife, Gina Polick, has provided the moral, support, and the financial support provided by the Republic Bank scholarship will really help on the financial end.
“It was phenomenal and I called everyone I knew when I got the letter,” Polick said. “It gives you peace of mind and frees up your time to focus on your family and not worrying so much about your financial obligations, because that can be very stressful.
Polick is working toward a double major in accounting and finance and expects to graduate in the spring of 2018. He hopes to secure an accounts payable position after graduation with the ultimate goal of becoming a controller.
Derek Ginn of Independence returned to college after a six-year hiatus in 2013. He said Gateway2NKU is a great program that made the transition back to college life much easier.
“Being able to go to Gateway and take the same type of programs at a reduced rate and come back to NKU and finish here with an associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree was huge,” Ginn said. “It really makes you feel like you are on track.”
Ginn is also married and has a three-year-old son. He works full-time in project management and sales and takes almost all of his classes online.
“It’s great because you can do your homework whenever your son allows it,” Ginn said. My wife, Sarah, has also been really supportive.”
Ginn, 28, said he really didn’t expect to receive the Republic Bank scholarship, but it will make his life a lot easier.
“You take out loans and it’s always in the back of your head how you’re going to pay for it when you get out,” Ginn said. “Just having people give you that money makes you think that somebody actually believes that what you are doing is going to be useful in the community, so you want to keep going and do the best you can.”
Ginn is majoring in business informatics and plans to graduate in the spring of 2017.
He is not sure what he will do after school, but the degree will prepare him for a career in business or information technology, so he has a lot of options.
“It’s kind of the best of both worlds,” he said.
NKU President Geoffrey S. Mearns said it is the university’s goal to provide every student with the opportunity to succeed.
“We are pleased and proud to partner with Republic Bank to further that mission,” Mearns said. Our Gateway2NKU program was the first of its kind in the region and we are thankful that this support…will help more students achieve their dreams through the program.”
Gateway Students who enter the program must maintain a minimum 2.0 grade-point average and be continuously enrolled in six credit hours. In return, they can live on campus at NKU, participate in campus activities and attend NKU athletic and cultural events.
Gateway Interim President/CEO Keith Bird said the program provides students with support and a clear pathway to success.
“This new scholarship supports eligible students financially as they transition from Gateway to NKU and achieve their dreams,” Bird said.
Each of the initial recipients received a $5,000 scholarship award.