As the Bryan College Class of 2020 begins a new chapter in their lives, their arrival also marks a new chapter in the history of the school. This group of students is the first to have The Bryan Difference Maker program in place as they made their college choice as incoming freshman.
“We are so excited to have the Class of 2020 on campus and to see how The Bryan Difference Maker will allow them to further make a difference in today’s competitive workforce after they graduate,” said Rick Taphorn, vice president of Finance and Enrollment.
The Bryan Difference Maker, which was introduced in the fall of 2015, offers students the opportunity to earn a master’s degree tuition-free after earning their bachelor’s degree on campus. Students must graduate from Bryan with a minimum 3.5 GPA in order to qualify.
For many students, this incentive influenced their decision to attend Bryan in the fall over other schools. One such student is Hope York, who switched her decision to Bryan over the summer after learning about The Bryan Difference Maker and the school’s heralded biology program.
Another such student is Rumbi Mchargue, a Central City, Neb., native currently majoring in psychology.
“The Bryan Difference Maker is a remarkable idea and actually what hooked me into coming to Bryan,” Mchargue said. “I made a goal in 7th grade to graduate college with no debt. When I applied to Bryan I was going to be a psychology major and getting my master’s degree was a must. I had no clue about the value of money, so when I got to the end of my senior year and really looked at the cost of college, it hit hard that I most likely wouldn’t be able to achieve my childhood goal. Then two days before my high school graduation, I got a call from my admissions counselor, Maggie, and she told me about The Bryan Difference Maker, bringing hope back to my dream. Many people told me it was impossible, but I have seen the Lord work in marvelous ways.”
The Class of 2020 features 209 freshmen, a 25 percent increase from the year before. The college is hopeful to see these numbers continue to rise as more prospective students learn about The Bryan Difference Maker and how it distinguishes Bryan from other schools in the area.
The Class also features students from 20 states and two countries outside of the United States. Eight of the students received the President’s Merit Scholarship, the highest merit-based scholarship the school offers. Other statistics for the new Class include an average ACT score of 24 and an average high school GPA of 3.67.
For more information about Bryan’s master’s programs, please visit here.