Registration opens Feb. 23 for 1,300 course sections
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Recognizing the effort and sacrifice required by many students and their parents to fund a college education, the Rutgers-New Brunswick Summer Session is “lending” – or more accurately, extending a helping hand.
For the first time, qualified Rutgers students will be eligible to compete for one of 100 $500 scholarships for their summertime studies. Visiting rising high school juniors and seniors can receive a scholarship for 30 percent of tuition for a maximum of two courses.
Additionally, all New Brunswick Summer Session students can utilize a multipayment plan for a $50 participation fee or pay via e-checks. Registration for approximately 1,300 summer course sections opens Feb. 23.
“We’re delighted to offer financial assistance for summer studies during these troubling economic times,” said Summer Session Director Elizabeth Hough. “The availability of a large range of summer classes will enable students to maintain or even get ahead on their schedules for graduation. Also, some might want or have to lighten their course loads during the regular academic year to accommodate work schedules, and Summer Session supplies a solution.
“Our many offerings will afford students the opportunity to enroll in some popular required courses, or courses in their major subject area, that might close out during the fall or spring. Or they may want to explore an academic area they normally would not try during a semester with a larger class load,” Hough continued.
To be eligible for the competitive awards, Rutgers students must carry a minimum 3.5 grade point average based on at least 12 credits and demonstrate financial need. They must enroll in three-credit courses or higher to receive the full $500 award. Visiting high school students with a 3.0 GPA and letters of recommendation from their guidance counselors can qualify for the High School Summer Scholarships. Rutgers faculty members have recommended more than 70 courses specifically for advanced high schoolers, Hough said. Examples include “Introduction to Art History,” “General Chemistry,” “Foundations of Exercise Science and Sports Studies,” “Elementary Algebra” and “The Nature of Politics.”
As an added convenience, Rutgers has been adding “hybrid” courses that require only 50 percent on-site attendance, with the balance of the curricula taught online. The university has been offering individualized faculty training to facilitate the development of hybrid courses.
“Hybrids benefit both students and faculty,” Hough explained. “Students must come to campus only half the time, and with an ever-increasing number of courses being offered online, this gives them a chance to familiarize themselves with this new instructional model in the more relaxed Summer Session setting.
“For faculty, hybrids provide the opportunity to rethink and freshen their curricula as they adapt their teaching methods to the latest available technology.”
Rutgers’ New Brunswick Summer Session is offered in three sections: May 26 to July 2, June 22 to July 31 and July 6 to Aug. 12. Courses also will be offered off-campus at Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing and at the Western Monmouth Higher Education Center in Freehold.
The New Brunswick Summer Session will hold 90-minute open houses for the public starting 5:30 p.m. on March 3, 12 and 17 at the University Inn and Conference Center, 178 Ryders Lane, New Brunswick, on the Douglass Campus.
To reserve a seat at an open house or for more information on the summer course catalogue, visit www.summer.rutgers.edu/press or call 732-932-7565.
Media Contact: Steve Manas
732-932-7084, ext. 612
E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu