Joliet Junior College (JJC) 2025 graduate Hannah Cochran has been awarded the North Central College Community College Honors Scholarship for JJC students, a full-tuition scholarship to continue their education at North Central.
“I was greatly surprised and honored,” Cochran said of their reaction to receiving the scholarship. “I get along really well with North Central’s staff, and I am excited to be transferring to a school that I already have a positive relationship with.”
The scholarship covers tuition and standard fees for up to six semesters in order for the student to complete their bachelor's degree.
North Central and JJC partnered to develop this scholarship to assist high achieving students. To be eligible, applicants had to meet a number of criteria, including Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) membership at JJC or completion of JJC’s honors program and a minimum GPA of 3.25. Cochran was not only a member of JJC’s PTK chapter but the vice president of leadership.
“My time with PTK was the best two years I could ask for,” they said. “As a small group, it felt perfectly comfortable; everyone was kind, welcoming and inclusive. I truly believe that if it weren’t for my time at Phi Theta Kappa, I would not be who I am today.”
Thanks to attending JJC and participating in PTK, Cochran discovered “newfound passions” after feeling “extremely lost” upon graduating high school.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for a career, let alone what I wanted to study,” they admitted. “JJC felt like a nice place to get my prerequisites, but also a nice place to get to know myself.”
Cochran received an associate in arts degree from JJC and primarily studied psychology. JJC’s flexibility and course options allowed them to also explore human resources management, which they will now pursue at North Central.
“With financial pressure, it’s easy to feel obligated to only take the courses you need,” Cochran said. “However, with this scholarship, I would be able to have a more well-rounded education and be taught skills I want to learn simply because I want to, not because I need to. I aspire to learn more than what is asked of me, and with the potential support of North Central, I was elated at the possibility of pursuing my academic dream.”
Many attend JJC with the academic dream of transferring to a four-year institution. In addition to scholarships like the North Central College Community College Honors Scholarship, JJC students looking to transfer can take advantage of opportunities like dual degree programs and guaranteed admission programs through University Partnerships and Degree Acceleration.
“JJC’s University Partnerships department is continually working with universities in order to create agreements to benefit our transfer students,” said Diane Urbanczyk, manager of university partnerships and degree acceleration. “Some agreements may include benefits such as special scholarships, tuition lock-ins, the acceptance of additional transfer credit beyond the associate degree, additional advising, etc.”
