By Eric Stock

NORMAL – Heartland Community College is trying to make it easier to get your degree if your college career gets sidetracked.

The school has reached agreement with a second school, Millikin University in Decatur, on a reverse transfer agreement.

Heartland’s Vice President of Learning and Student Success Rick Pearce said the school is working on partnerships with several other schools in the near future.

“The advantage to the student is just that it doesn’t impede them transferring on their own time schedule and still allows them to complete both degrees,” Pearce said.

Through the reverse agreement, students who transfer from Heartland before getting their associate degree could complete the required coursework at the four-year school.

Heartland also has this agreement with Eastern Illinois University.

“We have been working with (Illinois State University) on a similar idea,” Pearce said. “It hasn’t really fleshed out, but we suspect it will here in the near future. Our goal would be reach out to all of the different universities that our students transfer to and try to seek an agreement.”

Pearce said he expects the school will announce a similar agreement with Western Illinois University in September.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].