Student Success at Center of UMass Lowell-Bunker Hill Community College Joint Admissions Agreement

Media Contacts: Emily Gowdey-Backus, director of media relations and Nancy Cicco, assistant director of media relations

With an average age of 26, transfer students bring life experiences to the classroom and they contribute to the diversity and vitality of UMass Lowell.

Nearly one in 10 of those students enters the university from Bunker Hill Community College.

Building on a longstanding collaboration, UMass Lowell is proud to announce a joint admissions agreement with BHCC. The largest community college in the Commonwealth, BHCC students who wish to pursue bachelor’s or more advanced degrees will be encouraged to apply to UMass Lowell.

Leadership from both higher education institutions met Monday to celebrate the partnership and look to the future.

“We are committed to student success. We’re committed to attracting the right students for whom a UMass Lowell education can do the most good,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Julie Chen. “With this agreement, we can create a seamless pathway for Bunker Hill students to continue their education.”

Senior economics major, Wonder Ahiatsi, a member of the Honors College and a peer ally for the Transfer Alliance Program, already knows the benefits of this specific relationship. Ahiatsi, a native of Ghana, earned an associate degree from BHCC before transferring to UMass Lowell.

“My experience at UMass Lowell has been rewarding,” said Ahiatsi, who emigrated to the United States in 2018 and transferred to UMass Lowell in 2021. “When students are thinking about transferring, especially immigrants, they need to find a support system within their university. If you have a system, like both of these schools, that is supportive it’s an incredible experience.”

A graduate of the American Economics Association summer program at Howard University, Ahiatisi will be one of the first graduates of UMass Lowell’s quantitative economics program.

Referencing her experience as a first-generation college student, BHCC President Pam Eddinger said the joint admissions agreement is, and has been from the start, built to support students from all backgrounds who are pursuing higher education.  

“If the support doesn’t come from the college it doesn’t come at all,” she said. “Bunker Hill and UMass Lowell have shared values and this agreement truly creates a community of learning for students from all backgrounds.”

Upon admission to BHCC, a student who opts-in to the joint admissions agreement via the BHCC application will simultaneously be admitted to UMass Lowell. They will be matriculated upon graduation from BHCC if certain requirements are met including a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0. 

However, some UMass Lowell curricula, including the nursing program, will require additional criteria from incoming transfer students.