Vanessa credits Durham Tech's instructors for her positive experience. "The faculty members who choose to teach at the community college level are at the heart of Durham Tech's vibrant campus community," she said. "It is through their hard work and dedication to enriching students' lives that I have been able to follow my own dream of completing a college degree."

Vanessa's transfer to UNC will be almost seamless. Under the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement between North Carolina's community colleges and public universities, students who complete their courses with a C or better when earning the associate in arts or associate in science degree at a community college and meet the university's admissions criteria transfer into the four-year institutions as juniors with 64 credit hours of course work.

How well do Durham Tech students make the transition to four-year universities?

A study tracking the performance of Durham Tech transfer students to state universities between 2003 and 2007 shows that, on average, our students perform better than those who began their college career at the four-year institutions. This data is testimony to the high-quality education and student support Durham Tech faculty and staff provide.

At Durham Tech, academic advisers work closely with students, guiding and assisting them in choosing courses that will prepare them for their prospective majors. The student and faculty populations are rich in diversity in terms of ethnicity, economic background and age range, exposing students to different perspectives, experiences and viewpoints. Vanessa feels certain that she is equipped to succeed at UNC: "I eagerly anticipate the opportunity and feel as though my time at Durham Tech has equipped me with the tools I need to succeed."

Many Durham Tech students benefit from partnerships between the college and other educational institutions. One example is C-STEP (The Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program), a comprehensive and competitive academic program designed to increase the number of high-achieving, low-income to moderate-income community college transfer students graduating from UNC.

Another example is BRITE (Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise), a program granting scholarships to students who have completed an Associate in Science degree at Durham Tech. Then they transfer to N.C. Central University and pursue a bachelor of science in chemistry or biology with a concentration in Biopharmaceutical Science.

In today's economic crisis, an education at Durham Tech makes sense. Not only does the college provide outstanding education, but it also does so at reduced costs to students. Students save thousands of dollars a year by attending Durham Tech as the first step to a baccalaureate degree. For more information about the University Transfer program, visit the college's Web site at www.durhamtech.edu/.