SMCM and Gov. of Aruba Sign Articulation Agreement

ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. (June 14, 2016)—St. Mary's College of Maryland and the Ministry of Education and Family Policy, Aruba, announce the signing of an agreement enabling up to 20 first-year and transfer Aruban students to enroll at St. Mary's College for the 2016-17 school year.

"St. Mary's College is excited about this partnership with Aruba," said Dr. Tuajuanda C. Jordan, president, St. Mary's College. "Aruban students will have access to one of the highest ranked public liberal arts schools in the nation and by welcoming these talented students, St. Mary's College will continue to see a diversification in its student body that will create more broadly educated and well-rounded graduates."

"We are very pleased and excited to formalize this agreement with St. Mary's College of Maryland, and open up this unique opportunity for our students," said Minister Michelle Hooyboer-Winklaar, Education and Family Policy, Aruba. "I am convinced that our students will benefit immensely from the education experience at St. Mary's, and in exchange, will contribute uniquely to the diversity that international students bring to local colleges."

Aruban first-year students accepted at St. Mary's College would have achieved a 3.0 GPA and scored higher than 1100 on the SAT Examination or taken the Test of English as a Foreign Language Testing System with minimal scores of 550 for the traditional test, 250 for the computer-based test, or 90 for the Internet test version. If English is not the student's native language a minimum score of 7.0 or higher for the International English Language Testing System would also be acceptable.

Aruban transfer students would have achieved a 3.0 GPA in college transferable courses. Language test scores remain the same as for first-year students. SAT scores may be substituted for language exams if available.

The term of the agreement continues until May 15, 2017, with extensions presumed to be approved.