Meridian Community College students who want to attend the University of West Alabama can now make an easy transition through a new partnership.

The schools’ presidents met on Thursday to sign a memorandum of understanding allowing MCC students to transfer to UWA. 

“This agreement is focused on the traditional student and (those) transferring with a liberal art degree,” said MCC President Thomas Huebner. 

Huebner said the goal of the program is to provide additional educational opportunities for students and to make it easy for students who drive from Alabama to attend MCC. 

“Any time a student from Meridian Community College can get a four-year degree, if it’s  their desire, we want to afford them that opportunity,” he said.

Ken Tucker, president of UWA said the program will also be offered to students with liberal arts credits, but don’t have an associate of arts degree from MCC. The students will still have to apply to UWA, but the partnership will make the process easier, Tucker said. 

“Our goal is to make it easier to transfer the academic credits and the matriculation from one college to another,” he said. “Just to encourage students to get the highest degree of education that will serve their goals.” 

The partnership could start as early as this summer.