Community College of Philadelphia Offers Philadelphia Residents A Debt-Free Opportunity to Earn a Degree

PHILADELPHIA, August 07, 2008–Starting this fall, Community College of Philadelphia will provide Philadelphia residents who have 30 or more college credits the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree without incurring tuition or fees.

In a city where only one out of every five residents has a degree, the My Degree Now initiative will provide a path to economic opportunity for Philadelphians who, for one reason or another, never obtained a degree.

"By providing educational opportunities, the College works to benefit residents and the city as a whole. When companies enhance their employees’ knowledge, they grow and prosper, as does Philadelphia’s economy," said Stephen M. Curtis, president of Community College of Philadelphia.

"My Degree Now is offering a wonderful opportunity for Philadelphians who are working to reach their goals while pursuing pathways that will lead to exciting opportunities. My administration wants to see the number of residents with a four-year bachelor degree double over the next five to 10 years, and this program is a step in the right direction," Mayor Nutter said.

President Curtis unveiled the My Degree Now program at a press conference Thursday, Aug. 7, at the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters at The Bellevue, 200 S. Broad Street. He was joined by Mayor Nutter and top executives from Wachovia, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Gas Works and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

My Degree Now will allow Philadelphia residents with 30 or more transferable college credits to earn an associate's degree with no out-of-pocket costs for tuition or fees. The pilot program is funded by $100,000 from a gracious donor.

To be eligible for My Degree Now, residents must apply for financial aid grants, have been out of college for at least two years and must agree to complete their associate’s degree requirements in three years or less. My Degree Now will cover tuition and fees not met by financial aid. It also will provide up to $200 a semester for textbooks to employees whose employers are interested in this partnership with the College.

My Degree Now is one way the College is seeking to help the city achieve Mayor Nutter's goal of substantially increasing the number of residents who have college degrees over the next five to ten years.

Only 20 percent of Philadelphians have college degrees, placing Philadelphia near the bottom (92nd out of the country’s 100 largest cities) in percentage of college-educated residents, according to a 2007 report by the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, a nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer board appointed by the mayor.

Among the 80 percent of Philadelphians without a college degree are 80,000 prime working-age adults, 25 to 45 years old, with at least one year of college to their credit, the report said. My Degree Now aims to entice members of this group back into the classroom to upgrade their job skills by earning an associate’s degree, and possibly continuing on the path to a bachelor’s degree using one of the College’s transfer or dual enrollment programs.

Employers and individuals interested in participating in My Degree Now should call 215-751-8254, e-mail Mydegreenow@ccp.edu, or visit the Web site at www.ccp.edu/site/mydegreenow.

My Degree Now is one of several initiatives launched by the College this year to assist Mayor Nutter and the city in significantly growing the number of Philadelphians with college degrees.

In July, in support of Mayor Nutter’s educational initiative, the College announced it would freeze student tuition and fees this year. The current tuition for a full-time student taking 24 credits a year is $3,528.

The College also announced in March that it would expand its First Class free program to members of the Hispanic, African-American and Asian chambers of commerce. First Class had previously been available only to members of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. The program allows chamber members, who have never taken a college course, the opportunity to take their first class free of charge at the College.

The College also offers Opportunity Now, a tuition-free program that waives tuition for a maximum of 12 credits in one semester for Philadelphia residents who have been laid off from full-time employment due to an economic downturn.