An updated agreement between Cape Fear Community College and University of North Carolina Wilmington will make it easier for students to transfer between the two institutions, according to an announcement Monday from CFCC.

Leaders of both institutions met Monday morning to sign the latest version of an “articulation agreement.” The agreement assures CFCC graduates acceptance into UNCW, provided that the community college students earn an associate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, a news release stated.

The new agreement adds specificity to an existing statewide Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA), which governs the transfer of credits between the state’s community colleges and public universities, according to the release. It offers a qualifying student the benefit of acceptance at the student’s four-year school of choice.

CFCC officials say that, for a vast majority of their students, that choice is UNCW.

“Through the statewide CAA, graduates of any of the North Carolina Community Colleges are assured admittance to one of the UNC institutions, but not assured admittance to a specific campus or program,” the release stated. “The significance of the CFCC and UNCW agreement makes sure that a high-quality CFCC graduate gets the opportunity to enroll in one of the most competitive academic institutions in the UNC system.”

Of the 9,000 degree-seeking students attending CFCC this semester, roughly half are seeking a college transfer degree, the release added.

UNCW is one of the largest enrolling transfer institutions in the UNC system, UNCW provost Denise Battles said in the release, adding, “This agreement strengthens the pathway for Cape Fear Community College students seeking to earn a degree from UNCW.”