13 Apr 2020 CBC expands tuition discount
Central Baptist College President Terry Kimbrow recently announced that the one-time 20 percent tuition discount for new students enrolling in the PACE Program has been extended through the Fall 2020 semester. This tuition discount was initially offered for Spring 2020 to celebrate the PACE Program’s 20th Anniversary.
“In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, we know that many people’s lives have changed drastically in the past few weeks. Because of the uncertainty in our world and in our global workforce, CBC wanted to offer a help to individuals to be able to begin or complete their college degree now. There is no better time to do this than in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of PACE, which stands for Professional Adult College Education. Extending this 20 percent discount for the 20th Anniversary of the PACE program in the year 2020 to allow new students to experience PACE seemed like the right thing to do.” said Kimbrow.
“So many people have put their dream of obtaining a college degree on hold because they find themselves place-bound, working during the day, caring for a family or facing other obstacles that hinder their ability to go to college,” said CBC Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Gary McAllister. “PACE can remove those roadblocks and give adults an opportunity to achieve their dreams. The time to enroll is now!”
McAllister went on to say that “because of the recent pandemic, many institutions are scrambling to teach their courses online; however, PACE faculty were already prepared. We have been teaching online courses and offering online degrees for nearly a decade! In a time when students cannot come to the classroom, they can connect online via Zoom and through our learning management system. This is not a new process for us, so students can expect to receive the same quality education that has always been offered through the PACE Program.”
In 2000, the PACE Program began as a non-scholarship program with students being required to pay out of pocket for 100 percent of program costs. In recent years, Central Baptist College has added multiple types of institutional aid available in the PACE program to assist students with covering program costs. In addition to the one-time 20 percent discount for newly enrolling students, students can apply for state and federal financial aid programs by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online at studentaid.gov.
Central Baptist College also offers a Veteran’s Discount Grant, Ministry Tuition Grant and BMAA Grant for students who attend a BMAA church. Most recently, the College has started a PACE Business Partner program where area businesses can partner with CBC to offer their employees a 25 percent tuition discount.
The initial purpose of developing the PACE Program was to accommodate the educational needs of adults. Addressing this growing need led to the development of a nontraditional program to assist adults in completing their education. Integration of new technology throughout the life of the program has further enhanced the flexibility of PACE and kept it relevant in an ever-changing environment, especially now that almost all education across the nation has moved into an online course delivery format.
“Over the years, PACE has grown,” added McAllister. “Although it began with just one degree program, a bachelor of science in organizational management, it now offers 12 different degree programs in areas such as psychology, human resource management, leadership and ministry and management information systems. Students can begin these programs with no previous college experience. They also have flexibility since all our degree programs are offered in an online course delivery format.”
To take advantage of the one-time 20 percent tuition discount, first-time entering, transfer or readmit students should apply for admission and complete the registration process. There are four registration periods (blocks) for the Fall 2020 semester; the first deadline is June 12 for classes beginning on July 6. To learn more or to complete an application for admission, visit cbc.edu/itsyourtime.
Director of PACE Enrollment Claudette Holt can be reached at [email protected] or 501.205.8840.
