Two storied New Jersey institutions, Rowan University and Rowan College at Burlington County, are celebrating a decade of innovation through their transformative 3+1 partnership. Over the past ten years, the program has redefined how students earn both an associate and a bachelor’s degree, making higher education more affordable, accessible, and attainable for thousands across the region.
Since establishing the program in 2016, the institutions have worked in close collaboration to deliver high-quality college education at a cost of only about $30,000 for an associate and a bachelor’s degree combined. Now, Rowan and RCBC mark a decade of measurable impact defined by not just affordability, but by opportunity. For thousands of students, 3+1 has meant less debt, greater access, and a clearer path to a four-year degree.
Two respected institutions, one seamless pathway
RCBC administrators long envisioned a more affordable pathway to completing a four-year degree. Acting President and Provost, Dr. David Spang, one of the original architects of the 3+1 program, recalls that in 2010, when student loan debt surpassed credit card debt in the United States, the urgency for a cost-effective college option was unmistakable.
The vision began to take shape a few years later, when in 2015 Rowan University President Dr. Ali A. Houshmand initiated a conversation about a new kind of partnership. The idea quickly gained momentum. The RCBC-Rowan collaboration was formed, Burlington County College adopted a new name, and an innovative degree-completion model was launched.
The following year, Acting President Spang and the other academic leaders laid the groundwork for the 3+1 program structure, creating a seamless pathway for students to transfer to a four-year institution and earn a bachelor’s degree–without the traditional financial burden.
In the 3+1 program, students spend their first and second years as RCBC students, graduating with an associate degree in the typical fashion of a two-year college. Then, instead of transferring, students remain at RCBC for their junior year and continue paying RCBC tuition while taking Rowan University courses. Senior year students take Rowan classes at a discounted price, all on the RCBC Mount Laurel campus or online, saving a commute to Glassboro and the fees that come with it. All of this is monumental for Burlington County residents whose only in-county institution of higher education is RCBC.
“Students have told our advisors multiple times that they never would pursue a bachelor’s degree if they didn’t have this program,” said RCBC Associate Dean of Advising and Rowan Relations Alie O’Neil. “They wouldn’t have been able to afford a (traditional) four-year school.”
A decade of student impact
What began as just three programs a decade ago–Criminal Justice, Liberal Studies, and Biology–has blossomed into 13 robust transfer pathways spanning various fields of study across all three RCBC academic divisions: Health Sciences, Humanities, Business, and Social Sciences (HBSS), and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Today, the three highest-enrolled programs are Psychology, Nursing, and Business. Two pathways, Computing and Informatics and Nursing, even extend to master’s-level programs, further expanding access to advanced credentials.
Since the first cohort in spring 2017, RCBC and Rowan have graduated more than 1,800 students through the 3+1 program. For nearly 2,000 graduates, the estimated collective tuition savings total approximately $52 million–proof that innovation and affordability can go hand in hand.
Faith Ortega, a senior in the 3+1 Applied Professional Communications program at Rowan, has nothing but praise for the path she chose after high school nearly four years ago.
“You’re getting a quality education for a fraction of the price, and that is a no-brainer to me,” Ortega said. “That is such a smart decision to make when you’re choosing what degree you’re going to take and what college you’re going to go to.”
This past fall, 644 juniors enrolled at RCBC in the 3+1 program–the largest class in the program’s history–making this year’s 10-year celebration of the RCBC-Rowan University collaboration especially meaningful. In addition, more than 1,000 pre-juniors are currently in the pipeline and will soon decide whether to continue along the 3+1 pathway after completing their associate degree, selecting from one of 13 available pathways if their major aligns.
A key factor in the program’s success is its innovative structure, developed collaboratively by a small group of RCBC academic deans and advisors. After completing their associate degree, students transition into Advanced and Continuous Studies, a program created by RCBC that enables them to continue seamlessly toward their bachelor’s degree.
Advanced and Continuous Studies allows students to progress seamlessly from credits 61 to 90 while maintaining financial aid eligibility, preserving both affordability and academic continuity.
“Advanced and Continuous Studies, which was invented here and named here, was shared statewide as a model for colleges that have partnerships with other schools,” Acting President Spang said.
What’s next for 3+1
The momentum continues.
Engineering Technology Management will become the 14th 3+1 major, with the agreement nearly complete and a fall 2026 debut on the horizon. Enrollment opens this spring, creating yet another affordable pathway into a high-demand, technical career field.
The addition reflects the program’s continued evolution, responding to industry needs, strengthening regional workforce development, and giving students even more ways to earn a bachelor’s degree without taking on overwhelming debt.
“3+1 — it’s very robust. It’s strong. There’s demand. It’s worked well with our partner, Rowan,” Acting President Spang said. “Both of our institutional missions continue to align, and we’re going to continue growing together.”
Celebrations to come
Rowan and RCBC have already kicked off commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the collaboration, with Acting President Spang presenting the genesis of the unique partnership at the recent February 17 RCBC Board of Trustees meeting. Rowan Chancellor Tony Lowman also presented, emphasizing the longstanding, congenial relationship between the institutions and their leadership.
And you can now listen to a brand new episode of the RCBC Program Pod podcast that celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the 3+1 program and features insight from Acting President Spang, O’Neil, and Ortega at rcbc.edu/podcast. Watch the video version here.
Plenty more celebrations are in the works, including social media featuring 3+1 alum stories, giveaways, and more. Follow RCBC and Rowan on their social media channels to stay in the loop on all the action.
Interested in learning more about the 3+1 program? Visit rcbc.edu/rowan/3plus1.
