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ROCKFORD — Rockford Promise students at Rock Valley College will be able to transfer to Northern Illinois University to continue their tuition-free education starting next fall.

RVC, NIU and Rockford Promise announced the new arrangement on Tuesday. Rockford Promise currently provides full-tuition scholarship to both institutions, but the scholarship at NIU was previously only open to college freshmen who graduated from a Rockford public high school with a 3.0 grade point average or higher.

“We are delighted to build on the success of the Rockford Promise program by expanding access to include qualified RVC transfer students. We want more students to be able to take advantage of the program and the impactful experiences that come with earning a life-changing NIU degree,” NIU President Lisa C. Freeman said in a news release. “We’re also thrilled to increase the scope and success of our collaboration with trusted partners at RVC and the Rockford Promise organization.”

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To qualify, students must be Rockford Promise scholars at RVC who earn their associate’s degree with a grade point average of at least 2.5, and they must enroll at NIU as full-time students.

The arrangement is intended to allow for a seamless and tuition-free transition from RVC to NIU.

“RVC is proud to partner once again with Rockford Promise and NIU to create a new pathway option for our students to complete a bachelor’s degree. Access is one of our strategic pillars, and this agreement is another important way to increase access, affordability, and success for Rockford Promise Scholars who begin their post-secondary journey at RVC,” RVC President and CEO Howard Spearman said in a news release.

RVC students who qualify to take advantage of the NIU program should complete an NIU application for admission and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or alternative application for Illinois Financial Aid.

NIU began its partnership with the Rockford Promise in 2021. The program now has more than 340 scholars enrolled at NIU.

“This new partnership with NIU and RVC further demonstrates our commitment to enriching the Rockford community through educational attainment and providing a powerful economic incentive for residents and businesses to locate to the Rockford region,” Kaylene Groh, executive director of Rockford Promise, said in a news release.

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Sol Jensen, NIU’s vice president of enrollment management, marketing and communications, said the three organizations work well together because they have shared values centered around students and the community.

“We know that college students, for a wide variety of reasons, take different paths to degree attainment and career development, and we’re here to help them get there,” Jensen said. “We want to meet students wherever they are along their own unique pathways.”

Rockford Promise scholars are also eligible to attend Rockford University tuition free if they have a 3.0 grade-point average and meet financial qualifications.