Fairfield Bellarmine Establishes Transfer Initiative with Georgetown

Georgetown’s Community College Preferred Consideration Program expands access to bachelor’s degrees for Fairfield Bellarmine students.

Fairfield Bellarmine, the University’s two-year associate’s degree program serving students from the Greater Bridgeport region and beyond, has established a new transfer initiative with Georgetown University through its Community College Preferred Consideration Program. The partnership expands opportunities for Bellarmine students to pursue a bachelor’s degree at one of the nation’s most selective universities.

Designed to provide a strong academic foundation for transfer to four-year institutions or entry into the workforce, the Bellarmine program currently offers five tracks sponsored by Fairfield University’s undergraduate schools: Business, Computer Science, Health Studies, Liberal Studies, and Education.

Through the Preferred Consideration Program, up to three highly qualified Fairfield Bellarmine students may be recommended each year for transfer admission to Georgetown University. Students nominated through this program receive consideration as part of Georgetown's highly competitive transfer process. Admission is not guaranteed.

Georgetown’s program is designed to support talented students from two-year institutions, including first-generation college students, non-traditional students, and others whose academic promise and perseverance distinguish them. Successful transfer applicants to Georgetown typically demonstrate a college GPA of 3.8 or higher, along with strong high school performance. Georgetown University is committed to meeting full demonstrated financial need for all admitted, eligible undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

“We are delighted to form this partnership with Georgetown, which like Fairfield is a Jesuit university. Together, we are committed to expanding access in Jesuit higher education so that students may realize their God-given potential and serve their communities,” said Rev. Kevin O’Brien, S.J., vice provost and executive director of Fairfield Bellarmine. “Rooted in the Jesuit tradition, our goal is to ensure that academic promise, not circumstance, determines how far a student can go.”

That commitment is already yielding strong outcomes. Fairfield Bellarmine has a nearly 80 percent two-year graduation rate, compared to a three-year graduation rate of under 20 percent for community colleges in Connecticut. Of the Class of 2025’s 35 graduates, approximately 90 percent have matriculated to bachelor’s degree programs at Fairfield University. One Bellarmine graduate has continued their education at Stanford University, underscoring the program’s academic rigor and the breadth of opportunities available to its students.

The Georgetown initiative builds on Fairfield Bellarmine’s growing network of transfer partnerships with institutions such as Albertus Magnus College and Williams College, which are designed to support seamless credit transfer, academic continuity, and timely degree completion. Fairfield Bellarmine administrators continue to pursue additional partnerships with selective colleges and universities to expand bachelor’s degree pathways.

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