BRISTOL – Those who volunteer for local Girl Scouts troops seeking to continue their adult education at Roger Williams University will have a discount on their tuition bills.
The university and Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England recently launched a new partnership to support educational futures of adult volunteers by offering a 15% tuition discount for all credit-bearing courses at University College on Empire Street in Providence. Gena Bianco, RWU University College dean, told Providence Business News that those who volunteer with the Girl Scouts will pay $1,104 per three-credit course, saving them $195. Bianco also said some adult learners may qualify for additional savings on their tuition bills but did not specify what they need to qualify.
Bianco said RWU University College first approached the Girl Scouts to ask how they could support their mission, with Girl Scouts CEO Dana Borrelli-Murray introducing the discounted tuition idea for volunteers at their first meeting. Bianco said partnering with the Girl Scouts was “perfect” because the organization over the years has built “courageous and confident women of character” who are taking on leadership roles in Rhode Island and beyond.
“The rollout to the community and adult volunteers has begun and will develop into a very active and sustainable partnership that will no doubt be impactful and ultimately grow into a more robust relationship between RWU and [the Girl Scouts],” Bianco said.
Additionally, Bianco said many Girl Scout volunteers who are students aided by RWU through this partnership will ultimately qualify for prior learning credits for their previous education and training, and work and life experience. That way, it may result in those students earning up to 90 credits toward their degree, she said.
“Our typical student is one who is juggling work and raising a family while trying to earn a degree,” Bianco said. “This not only saves students money, but more importantly time.”
In a statement, Borrelli-Murray said this partnership between the Girl Scouts and RWU “opens doors” to conversations about the role real-life, transferrable skill building can play toward course reduction as real-world credit.
This partnership with the Girl Scouts adds to the multiple joint initiatives that University College has with state agencies, local businesses and nonprofits, among other entities, Bianco said. She said RWU would still like to continue to grow its partnership network to “make a positive impact on Rhode Island.”
“We are all trying to make an impact by educating Rhode Islanders and training Rhode Island’s workforce to strengthen our economy and build resilience to market demands,” Bianco said.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
