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Schools

Tuition rising, but OCC still a bargain among community colleges

Even after the hike, OCC still boasts the state's third lowest tuition rate

With Ocean County College leaders resisting a tuition hike in their recent restructuring plan to bridge a $1.58 million budget gap, how does the tuition OCC students pay compare with what other community colleges are charging?

First the bad news, tuition went up this year at all 19 community colleges in the state. At OCC the increase was $2 a credit, to $94, an increase of 2.2 percent. Only Atlantic Cape Community College increased its tuition less, 1.9 percent, a $1.80 per credit hike.

The largest increase, 7 percent, or $6 a credit, was at Burlington County Community College, followed by 6.4 percent, also $6 a credit at Union County Community College.

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According to the NJ Council of County Colleges, the $94 a credit charged at OCC is the third lowest in the state this year. The average among the 19 colleges is $101.15 a credit. Gloucester County Community College students are paying $85 a credit and those at Burlington County Community College $92 a credit.

Brookdale Community College in Monmouth County charges the most, $118.50 a credit, just 20 cents a credit more than second place Bergen County Community College.

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In other community college news, the council praised a nursing program that partners community colleges with Kean, a four-year school.

The Kean@Ocean partnership that gives students the ability to earn a 4-year Kean University nursing degree at Ocean County College is spreading, according to Dr. Lawrence Nespoli, president of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges.

Along with OCC, Bergen Community College and Raritan Valley Community College have created frameworks to allow students at the 2-year colleges to transfer their work for credit in Kean's nursing degree program.

Two other schools, Essex County College and Middlesex County College, are still reviewing the program, according to Nespoli.

"This is another example of New Jersey's community colleges coming together in a statewide way to solve a statewide challenge,'' Nespoli said in a prepared statement. "Health care providers are in need of more nurses with bachelor of science in nursing degrees and many of our community college nursing students, past and present, want to earn this credential. We are grateful to Kean University for partnering with us to provide this degree completion program on our community college campuses.''

"We have had a tremendously successful partnership with Kean University for a number of years now. Kean already offers several bachelor's and master's degree completion programs at our institution, and these programs make higher education more accessible to students,'' said OCC President Dr. Jon Larson, in a prepared statement.

A contract for a $30 million Gateway Building, to be shared by OCC and Kean,  has been awarded by the OCC trustees. Kean will pay half the cost of that building.

In the spring semester, students in the three participating community colleges with an associate degree in nursing, a grade point average of at least 2.0 and a state registered nursing license will be able to enroll in the Kean program.

In some cases, Nespoli said community college professors could have a chance to work as Kean University adjuncts to teach upper-level nursing courses offered on the various campuses.

As many as 88 hours of community college credits can be accepted toward the 125-credit Kean University degree requirement. A minimum of 37 credits from Kean's upper division courses, with 31 of those credits in nursing, are required for the degree.

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