In fall 2023, Niagara University’s Senior Term Enrichment Program (NUSTEP) will begin operating as a binational dual enrollment program, following the June 21, 2023, signing of a memorandum of understanding between the university and Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School of the Niagara Catholic District School Board in Ontario, Canada. The historic partnership enables Blessed Trinity’s students to earn both high school and post-secondary credits concurrently, at a fraction of the usual cost of university tuition.
“As a binational university, we are delighted to have the opportunity to build on our long legacy of education in Ontario by making our exceptional academic offerings available to Blessed Trinity students,” said Rev. James J. Maher, Niagara University president. “This partnership is just another example of Niagara University’s commitment to providing students, on both sides of the border, an accessible, affordable, high-quality education and facilitate their pathways to a university degree, and will strengthen our shared Catholic mission to develop, through reason and faith, leaders who will serve the common good.”
Students from Blessed Trinity who enroll in NUSTEP will be able to take select entry-level, university-level classes taught by their high school teachers who have been approved to teach NUSTEP classes. Upon successful completion of the courses, students earn the required credits for their Ontario secondary school diploma and university credits from Niagara University.
“NUSTEP is an exciting opportunity for our students to engage in dual credits,” said James Whittard, principal of Blessed Trinity. “They have the opportunity to enrich and challenge themselves in their passions, while gaining university credit from an institution that has a sterling reputation and is synonymous with Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School in mind, body and spirit, as Niagara University is a highly respected Catholic university. Ontario post-secondary students have enjoyed a long-standing history with Niagara University; offering dual-credit university opportunities is just another engaging step in our partnership with them.”
NUSTEP students who receive a final grade of at least B- and enroll at Niagara University the semester after their high school graduation will also receive the new NUSTEP Scholarship, which awards students $3,000 per year, up to $12,000 over four years of continuous undergraduate study.
The NUSTEP program has been accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. since 1983, which distinguishes it as one of the nation’s leading concurrent enrollment programs. More information regarding the NUSTEP program is available at niagara.edu/nustep.