Mercer County Community College announces full liberal arts degree at James Kerney Campus 

Today, Mercer County Community College held a press conference to announce the Trenton Scholars Project, an opportunity to access a liberal arts education in downtown Trenton.

Superintendent of Trenton Public Schools, James Earle, Mercer County Executive Dan Benson, and Margo Chaly, Acting Secretary of New Jersey Higher Education, attended the press conference held at Mercer County Community College, James Kerney Campus.

While the associate of arts degree in liberal arts is not new to Mercer County Community College, the Trenton Scholars Project offers professional pathways, a $1,000 stipend for various internships, and mentorship opportunities exclusively offered at the James Kerney Campus for the new program that will launch this fall.

The Trenton Scholars Project is being supported by a $150,000 grant from the national non-profit, Achieving the Dream, which improves access for students across the country. 

County Executive Dan Benson cited his older brother, who was a first-generation college student, as an example of the kind of student this program intends to serve. Benson said the program will allow “more students to have access to the opportunities, resources, and support systems that they need to succeed.”

“Many college students are often taking classes and working at the same time. I think that’s especially true for students at the James Kerney campus, but if we can give you a paid internship, a $1000 scholarship so you can focus on your learning, maybe you can work less hours,” said Dr. Christopher Cruz-Cullari, Dean of the Liberal Arts Division. “That’s one of the key ideas behind the Trenton Scholars Project”.

This change to the James Kerney Campus comes at the heels of Mercer County Community College’s new aseptic mobile laboratory, unveiled in October, along with an AI and robotics dual-enrollment program in collaboration with The College of New Jersey, also announced this year.