CHARLOTTE, Mich. – What started out in the Fall of 2014 as an educational partnership
between Charlotte High School and Ferris State University has evolved into not only
providing Charlotte High School students the chance to receive college credit through
concurrent enrollment at Ferris, but now the opportunity to receive a $1,000 scholarship
for up to four years.
At its regular Board of Education meeting Monday night, April 17, Charlotte Public Schools and Ferris announced the creation of the Ferris NEXT Scholarship for Charlotte High School students. This scholarship will be awarded to students who have graduated from Charlotte High School; are admissible for a degree-granting program at Ferris; are enrolling full-time at a Ferris site within one year of graduation; and have successfully earned a C or better in at least three credits through a Ferris collaborative high school agreement.
“I am very grateful for our strong, effective partnership with Superintendent Rosekrans and Charlotte Public Schools,” said Ferris President David L. Eisler. “This new scholarship will build upon our combined efforts for concurrent education and help Charlotte students continue their studies to earn their degree at Ferris State University.”
In the Fall of 2014, Ferris began offering the Woodbridge Ferris Early College Program to Charlotte High School students. This program gives students the opportunity to earn college credit through dual and concurrent enrollment classes offered at the high school. The number of Charlotte High School students taking Ferris courses has steadily increased since the inception of the Woodbridge Ferris Early College Program. Currently, 70 Charlotte High School students are concurrently enrolled, up from 15 students in the Spring 2016 semester. Since 2014, 233 students have earned 588 credit hours from Ferris through the Early College Program.
“Charlotte Public Schools, and specifically Charlotte High School and Charlotte Early Middle College, is very pleased to be in this partnership with Ferris State University,” said CPS Superintendent Mark Rosekrans. “Our CHS and CEMC students have benefited greatly by achieving college credits while still in high school. Further, the families of our students have saved on college tuition costs and this additional scholarship opportunity will make college a reality for our students. We are pleased to be a leader in our county and across the state.”
Ferris State University is a four-year public university with campuses in Big Rapids,
Grand Rapids and satellite campuses across the state of Michigan. Ferris offers more
than 180 educational programs, including doctorates, master’s, bachelor’s and associate
degrees, through eight academic colleges: Arts, Sciences and Education, Business,
Education and Human Services, Engineering Technology, Health Professions, Kendall
College of Art and Design, Michigan College of Optometry and Pharmacy.
PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured from left to right are David Eisler, president of Ferris State
University; DeeDee Stakley, director of Ferris' Office of Transfer and Secondary School
Partnerships; Abby McCrimmon, a student at Charlotte High School; Mark D. Rosekrans,
superintendent of Charlotte Public Schools; and William Barnes, principal of Charlotte
High School and Charlotte Early Middle College. Ferris and Charlotte Public Schools
officially introduced the Ferris NEXT Scholarship.