Marygrove College Partners With Oakland University to Address Nursing Shortage, Help...

Marygrove College Partners With Oakland University to Address Nursing Shortage,
Help Retrain Displaced Workers

DETROIT, May 19, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marygrove College and Oakland
University (OU) today announced a partnership to enroll students into an
accelerated second-degree nursing program which begins Fall 2009.

Because of the national nursing shortage, many qualified nursing program
applicants are placed on waiting lists that can be years long. This innovative
collaboration offers students the opportunity to immediately begin study at
Marygrove College and guarantees that qualified students will be placed in OU's
nursing program without a wait, essentially accelerating the pace at which
students can become registered nurses.

"This partnership is attractive from many perspectives," said Dr. Sally Welch,
co-chair, Science and Mathematics Department, Marygrove College. "But perhaps
the best part is that students can more quickly complete the training needed to
begin careers in the highly paid, in-demand nursing profession. This is
especially important for displaced workers who need to quickly retrain
themselves."

How the partnership works:

Students enter Marygrove College and earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Health
Science. Marygrove's program contains all the prerequisites for OU's nursing
program. For students who successfully complete the Health Science program at
Marygrove, OU guarantees placement into an accelerated one-year program of study
leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Once completed, students will
become registered nurses (upon successful completion of the NCLEX-RN exam) with
two degrees: a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science from Marygrove
College and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Oakland University.

How financial aid works:

Marygrove College's Make the Grade and Transfer Advantage financial aid
programs-which guarantee qualified high-need students can meet tuition costs
without student loans-have been extended to include students in this new
program. In addition, the program qualifies for the State of Michigan's No
Worker Left Behind program, which is targeted to dislocated workers (people who
are laid off) and/or students from low income families. The program provides up
to $5,000 per year in grant aid (money that does not need to be repaid) for up
to two years to students who have financial need left after other forms of
financial aid have been exhausted. For more information visit:
http://www.michigan.gov/nwlb.

"This partnership fits well with Marygrove's commitment to developing urban
leaders because it is a cooperative program with much of the training taking
place in the City of Detroit," said Dr. David J. Fike, Marygrove's president.
"Marygrove graduates who transfer into OU's nursing program will receive some of
their training at the St. John Detroit Riverview Center-part of the St. John
Health System. Therefore, the collaboration benefits our students here at
Marygrove, OU's nursing program, The St. John Health System and, most of all,
our community."

There are many entry points into this program, depending on one's background and
current training. In addition to new undergraduates, Marygrove College will work
with students who already have a college degree or earned college credit.
Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Marygrove's admissions
counselors to assess how their educational background can translate into
Marygrove's Bachelor of Science in Health Science program.

For more information, contact Marygrove College Admissions at (313) 927-1579.

ABOUT MARYGROVE COLLEGE

Founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) in 1927,
Marygrove College is an independent liberal arts college and a Catholic
institution of higher learning committed to developing leaders for the new
global society.

The main campus is situated on 53 wooded acres in northwest Detroit. 8425 W.
McNichols Rd., Detroit, MI 48221

Web site: www.marygrove.edu

The Marygrove College logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4898

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CONTACT: Marygrove College
Karen E. Wood, Director of Communications and Marketing
(313) 927-1446
Cell: (313) 316-6456
Fax: (313) 927-1595
kwood@marygrove.edu
www.marygrove.edu