8 The Key / September 2021
UMES Partnerships
Wor-Wic graduates eligible for UMES tuition break
New scholarship fund is inaugural project supported by historic Scott gift The University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Wor-Wic Community College announced an agreement in early June creating a financial incentive for recent graduates of the two-year school in Salisbury to continue their studies 17 miles south in Princess Anne. Dr. Ray Hoy, Wor-Wic’s president, and UMES President Heidi M. Anderson signed a “memorandum of understanding” that initially commits the university to providing nearly $260,000 in financial aid to Wor-Wic alumni enrolled at UMES starting this fall. UMES will invest some of the $20 million philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated to the university to establish the scholarship fund, fulfilling a pledge Anderson made in December 2020 when the gift was announced. ”The journey to achieve the dream of a college education often begins at the community college level,” Anderson said. “This scholarship will help those students who wish to continue that learning path earning a broader four-year degree. “By transferring from Wor-Wic to UMES,” she said, “students can deepen their passion for what they really want to do, while saving time and money reaching their ultimate goal.” Wor-Wic alumni who graduated in the past 18 months, including those currently enrolled at UMES, are eligible. They will receive $3,500 annually toward their in-state tuition bill for up to six semesters. Hoy, Wor-Wic’s president, called “this … an exciting partnership between the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Wor-Wic
Community College that will benefit the citizens of the Lower Shore.” “We’re signing an agreement today to provide a more affordable pathway for college completion for Wor-Wic graduates transferring to UMES,” he said. Three Wor-Wic applicants will qualify for a full-ride financial aid package known as a “presidential scholarship” worth $8,585 annually. “Recipients will be evaluated based on the information submitted with their application,” said Latoya Jackson, UMES’ Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Experience. “This information includes but is not limited to transcripts, personal narrative, and recommendations.” In May, the University System of Maryland’s governing board set UMES’ in-state tuition rate at $5,526 - or $2,763 per semester - for the 2021-22 academic year. Both Lower Shore colleges offer instruction in such fields as hospitality / hotel-motel-restaurant management, early childhood education, business and criminal justice that could ease the transfer path for scholarship recipients to earn a bachelor’s degree. There is no minimum grade point average requirement and as an added incentive, a standard application fee will be waived for Wor-Wic alumni who apply. Both institutions will revisit the incentive program in a year to decide if it will be extended and offered to spring 2022 Wor-Wic graduates.
(L-R) Dr. Kristin Mallory, Dr. Ray Hoy, President Heidi M. Anderson, and Dr. Nancy Niemi sign the memorandum of understanding that will incentivize recent graduates of Wor-Wic Community College to continue their studies at UMES.
