Morgan State University is always looking for ways to recruit the best of the best academic talent, and now a new partnership with Modern States is helping the university do just that! Learn how forward-thinking students can prepare to attend colleges in Maryland in the article below by Tim Tooten at local station WBAL TV below.

Credit: Morgan State University

A new program could help Morgan State University attract college-bound students as they can earn up to a year of college credits for free.

The Fast Start program in collaboration between the university and a nonprofit alliance called Modern States allows Maryland high school students to get a head start as they make plans to attend schools like Morgan State.

Morgan State will reap the benefits of students who take and pass online courses offered by Modern State. For starters, it’ll help students save more than $10 million in tuition and other college-related expenses.

“Our goals are to make college more affordable and more accessible for all people,” said David Vise, executive director of Modern States. “For Morgan State, it’s a recruiting tool. It can help them not only get high school students moving and earning college credits early, it can also help Morgan State reach students they’ve had a hard time reaching in the past.”

It’s something the school administration is not taking for granted.

“We will also be working to let our guidance counselors and principals and superintendents across the state know about the program because it really is a wonderful opportunity for students,” said Kara Turner, vice president for enrollment management and student success at Morgan State University.

Jarrett Carter, the founding editor of The HBCU Digest and a 2003 Morgan State University graduate, said the new program is paving a pathway to success.

“It’s impressive that the institution is able to not only welcome the best and the brightest but those who are yet to realize their academic talent and to pair that mission with an organization that’s says, ‘Hey, we want to improve college access. Here are some of the ways we can do it,'” Carter said.

Modern States said, in addition to prospective Morgan State students, residents throughout Maryland can also sign up for its free online courses.