College students in Louisiana, Texas and Florida will soon have the chance to study at Loyola thanks to recent transfer agreements the university has developed with five community colleges.

The agreements include Delgado Community College, Houston Community College, Miami Dade College, Pensacola State College and Florida State College at Jacksonville. These agreements will allow students who have completed 60 credits at these community colleges to enter into Loyola as juniors.

Roberta Kaskel, vice president of enrollment manganement, said that so far, Miami Dade College, Houston Community College and Delgado Community College have signed agreements with the university. The other colleges are in the process of signing their agreements.

Kaskel said that the agreements will be put into effect immediately.

“We will send recruiters to these schools this spring. However, students entering prior to having time to build their community college schedules in alignment with Loyola requirements might need to take some coursework beyond the anticipated two years,” Kaskel said.

Kaskel said that this agreement comes as an extension of the pre-existing transfer agreement program. She said that an agreement such as this enhances opportunities for both the students and the university.

“Transfer students bring new perspectives, backgrounds and skill sets to the community. Transfer students just enrich the educational experience for everyone,” Kaskel said.

She stated that Loyola seeks to increase the number of transfer students who enroll at the university.

Kayla Smith, program director for the Louisiana transfer degree at Delgado Community College, said that students often choose to transfer due to costs, class sizes and transferability.

“Delgado Community College does a great job in offering a range of curricula for different majors or disciplines along with the traditional general education requirements that are easily transferable across the state,” Smith said.

Anthony Alongi, mass communication junior, said he transferred to Loyola from Delgado and that he is happy that Loyola is expanding its transfer program.

“Anytime a reputable school like Loyola opens its doors to more students is a great thing. It’s a great opportunity for those students to have a great college experience and be challenged academically while also having a chance to experience the culture of New Orleans, right in the heart of the city,” Alongi said.

Alongi said that so far, his experience at Loyola has been positive.

“I can honestly say that I love Loyola. I’m proud to be a part of this university. It really is helping me to grow both as a man and as somebody pursuing their dreams,” Alongi said.

Alongi said that he feels more prepared for his future as a result of transferring to Loyola.

“Last semester was my first one at Loyola, and at first, I was a bit overwhelmed. It really forced me to straighten out my priorities. There is so much to get out of Loyola and I’ve come to learn to embrace the challenges I’ll face here, because I know wholeheartedly that it’s preparing me for what lies ahead,” Alongi said.