LINCROFT – Stockton University and Brookdale Community College have renewed a partnership that has helped students make a smooth transition from the two-year college to Stockton’s four-year bachelor’s degree program since 2018.
The Transfer Pathways program continues the relationship between Stockton and Brookdale by offering multiple opportunities for students to seamlessly pursue associate and bachelor’s degrees at the two institutions of higher education.
“Brookdale is proud to continue and expand our strong partnership with Stockton University,” said David M. Stout, Brookdale’s president. “Together, we are opening doors for our students by creating seamless pathways that lower costs, shorten time to degree and provide unique hands-on learning experiences like Stockton’s Live-Work-Learn program. These opportunities not only help our students achieve their academic goals but also prepare them to thrive in New Jersey’s workforce and communities.”
Joe Bertolino, Stockton’s president, said he is excited about a new component of the agreement that welcomes Brookdale students to participate in the university’s successful Live-Work-Learn Atlantic City Summer Experience.
“The unique aspect of Live-Work-Learn is that, in addition to our students earning an hourly wage while gaining hands-on experience, our 12 partner employers pay for the cost of housing for the student during the summer. If you are a college student, nothing is better than living in an apartment on our beachfront Atlantic City campus,” Bertolino said. “Opening this opportunity up to students after two semesters at Brookdale gives them the opportunity to have a closer relationship with Stockton even before they transfer.”
The Transfer Pathways program allows students who successfully complete their associate degree at Brookdale to automatically transfer to Stockton with junior standing to complete their bachelor’s degree. Application fees to Stockton will be waived for eligible students.
Students who complete at least 45 credits at Brookdale and a total of 64 credits between the county college and the four-year institution are eligible to receive a retroactive associate degree from Brookdale.
As part of Transfer Pathways, Stockton and Brookdale will develop specific program-to-program articulation agreements for high-demand majors to facilitate the quality and ease of transfer.
Students will receive joint advising from Stockton and Brookdale, and a Stockton advisor will have office space and a regular schedule at Brookdale.
Additionally, Students will be eligible for financial aid from whichever institution they are attending. Stockton will provide five one-year scholarships of $2,000 per year to Brookdale graduates whose admission to Stockton is covered by the agreement.
Students who do not meet all of the Stockton admissions criteria can receive conditional dual admission in partnership with Brookdale. Students will attend classes at Brookdale but have access to campus activities and student groups at Stockton and receive a special Stockton Identification card.
For more information about Brookdale’s Transfer Pathways program, visit brookdalecc.edu.
The article originally appeared in the September 18 – September 24, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
