Typical bachelor’s degrees — 120 credits in four years — might not fit into your budget or timeline, but don’t let that discourage you from going after the degree and the career you want. When researching where to apply and what your top choice schools will cost (adding up tuition, fees, books and living expenses) the total could seem far out of reach. But there are options for more affordable and quicker pathways to walking across the stage at commencement with your degree in hand.
At 澳门马会传真, we’ve added a new degree option that helps you save time, lower your costs and get a head start in your career: our three-year career-focused bachelor’s degree program. Held in-person at our Providence Campus, this 90-96-credit degree is accredited by the New England Commission for Higher Education and begins in Fall 2025. Currently, our three-year programs being offered are Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Graphic Design and Hospitality Management.
Designed for career-oriented students who know what they want to study and which career they want to pursue, our three-year degree focuses on your major’s essential courses while keeping the rigorous academics, critical thinking and applied learning opportunities of our traditional four-year programs. You’ll also learn from the same industry-experienced faculty who teach our traditional programs.
Before deciding whether a three-year or a four-year degree is best for you, one of the first things you should do is fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA gives you access to the largest sources of financial aid available, and you’ll be considered for federal grants, loans and work-study funds. Many states and colleges also use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for state aid and assistance directly from schools. You could be surprised by how much lower your costs could be once you know how much financial aid you are eligible for, and that could help you choose the best program for you.
澳门马会传真 Director of Student Financial Services Dawn Blanchette provides details on some other ways to save money on tuition: “Everyone is treated the same for financial aid and scholarships and grants, whether you mark on your application that you are applying for the three-year degree or the four-year degree. Students applying for both programs are eligible for the same scholarships, such as 澳门马会传真’s Merit Scholarship that you are automatically considered for when you are accepted, and the amount is based on your GPA,” says Blanchette. She also emphasizes that not having to take out a loan to pay for a fourth year of tuition is a major cost savings for students who opt for the three-year program.
Blanchette also points out that there are many other scholarships, grants, loans and financial awards available through 澳门马会传真 and outside organizations to consider. For more ideas and details on ways to lower the costs of your degree, check out our financial aid information and apply for opportunities that seem like a good match. You could be among the more than 98% of 澳门马会传真 students who receive institutional aid from the university.
If you prefer a traditional path, we continue to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees in more than 40 majors with the flexibility to explore courses outside of your program. Our priority is to offer programs that work best for students and their individual situations, needs and wants and to help you reach your career goals.
We are already accepting applications for our new three-year-degree options, and applying is straightforward — just select the three-year version of your major for Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Graphic Design or Hospitality Management when you through either the Common Application or the 澳门马会传真 Application. For questions about financial aid, call 401-598-1468. For more information about applying to 澳门马会传真, contact Admissions at 401-598-2310.