SMCC and St. Joseph’s come together to create Community², a unique and seamless transfer opportunity for students

The presidents of Southern Maine Community College and St. Joseph’s College in Maine has announced a new partnership to benefit the students of both institutions and strengthen the collective community. Today, SMCC and Saint Joseph’s finalized the creation of the Community² program that allows students from select programs to begin their college journey at SMCC and transition seamlessly to Saint Joseph’s.

Community² will allow students to be part of the culture of both institutions, creating ten new transfer agreements from SMCC to complementary programs at St. Joseph and removing administrative barriers for students. The community² also makes St. Joseph housing available to SMCC sophomores. This allows them to integrate into St. Joseph’s community and acclimate to campus to prepare for their eventual full transition to college while taking online or in-person classes at SMCC. A simple and seamless transfer path will save students time and money.

“Community² reinforces our commitment to providing students with an affordable path to higher education and the support to succeed while preparing them to meet Maine’s critical workforce needs.” said SMCC President Joe Cassidy. “The cost of college is top of mind for all prospective students and their families,” Cassidy said. “Recent high school graduates can attend SMCC tuition-free with Maine’s free college initiative, and with Community² they have a unique opportunity to live on St. Joseph’s campus in SMCC’s residential apartment during the second year. This can dramatically reduce their initial financial investment, allowing them to continue their education after SMCC.”