Bristol Community College, Bay Coast Bank to provide high school students opportunity to gain free college credits, career experience 

Bristol Community College is proud to announce the new BayCoast Bank Scholars program. This innovative scholarship and apprenticeship program was developed in collaboration with BayCoast Bank and intended to assist students from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds to earn their Associate Degree in business at Bristol and bachelor’s degree in business management, at the University of Massachusetts, while working at BayCoast Bank and gaining valuable professional experience. In addition to providing students with a jump start on their careers, while earning college credits in a supportive college environment, the privately funded initiative is also supporting BayCoast Bank’s commitment to a diversified banking workforce throughout their institution, as well as both organizations’ shared commitment to fostering a college-going culture in the region.

Through BayCoast Bank’s generous financial support, students selected for the collaboration by B.M.C. Durfee High School, in Fall River and neighboring New Bedford High School, are able to complete their Associate Degree in business at Bristol, free of charge, including tuition, fees, books, technology and other expenses. Upon completion from Bristol, students in the program will receive guaranteed transfer into the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s Business Management program to complete their bachelor’s degree.

Bristol’s courses are uniquely offered by the college’s accelerated FastTrack Business program, in hybrid and online formats, allowing students to quickly complete their associate degree in one year, before seamlessly transferring and completing their undergraduate degree in a total of three years. Students in the program are provided with a dedicated academic advisor and access to wrap-around tutoring services to support student success and encourage completion. Students in the BayCoast Bank Scholars Program also benefit from one-to-one mentors from within the Branch network and the company’s Management Team.