Albertus Magnus College and Waterbury Promise Forge Partnership to Expand College Access and Career Success
Expand Financial Support of Local Scholars Through College Success, Career Preparation
New Haven, Conn., April 28, 2026 – Albertus Magnus College and Waterbury Promise are pleased to announce a new partnership to enhance opportunities for local scholars to achieve their academic goals. The four-year, renewable agreement establishes post-secondary educational opportunities — building upon Albertus’ century-old tradition of transforming lives through access, opportunity, and social mobility.
Left to right: Brian Fernandes, Vice President
for Enrollment Management,
Gina D'Ambrosca, '14 MBA, '18 MSMOL,
Director of Undergraduate Admissions,
Kelonda Maull, Executive Director,
Waterbury Promise, and Ediye Redzepi,
College Success Coordinator,
Waterbury Promise
Under the terms of the agreement, qualified Waterbury Promise scholars will receive a minimum of $25,000 in annual institutional aid from Albertus Magnus College and a $4,000 residence grant for those who choose to live on campus. This award is renewable for three additional years, contingent upon academic guidelines, and includes opportunities for on-campus employment to further support the student experience. Waterbury Promise will provide an additional scholarship of up to $5,000 per year.
As Albertus Magnus College enters its second century of excellence, this partnership reaffirms our foundational mission: opening doors for a diverse and talented student body,” said Brian Fernandes, Vice President for Enrollment Management. “This collaboration is a powerful extension of our values-based education, bridging the gap between classroom theory and career-readiness through immersive, experiential learning.”
“This partnership with Albertus Magnus College creates a transformative bridge to success for our scholars,” said Waterbury Promise Executive Director, Kelonda Maull. “This isn’t just about providing a pathway to a degree; it’s about fostering the brilliance within our own backyard. As our scholars make their mark locally and beyond, they are boldly redefining what success looks like for generations to come.”
At Albertus, five in ten undergraduates are first generation college students and 100% of traditional undergraduates receive financial aid in the form of scholarships, loans, grants, or work-study assistance. By partnering with Waterbury Promise, Albertus continues to lead the way in making a high-quality, private liberal arts education an attainable reality for the region’s future leaders.
About Albertus Magnus College
Founded in 1925, Albertus is a coeducational Catholic College in the Dominican tradition. Albertus' values- and liberal arts-based education is recognized by external rankings such as US News & World Report, Money, and The New York Times, and has been named a Top 10 Military Friendly School. For ten consecutive years, at least 95% of Albertus graduates have attained employment or gone on to graduate studies within six months of completing their degrees. The College has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 students across its traditional undergraduate, accelerated adult undergraduate, and graduate program levels. Proud to enroll a student body where nearly half of its undergraduate students receive Federal Pell Grants and are first-generation college goers, Albertus is known for its innovative curricular offerings, recently launching new Bachelor's degree programs in Nursing, including BSN and Connecticut's first LPN-to-BSN; General Health Sciences; Interdisciplinary Studies; and Public Health.
Among its graduate offerings is the State of Connecticut's only Master of Arts in Art Therapy and Counseling program, and it is just one of three schools to offer a Master of Science in Human Services. In 2025-26, Albertus is celebrating its historic 100th Anniversary and completing implementation of the Albertus 2025: Lighting the Way to a Second Century strategic plan, with a bold vision to "be a destination liberal arts-based college, distinguished in its interdisciplinary and experiential approach to education, rooted in Dominican values, that prepares students for lifelong civic engagement and success." To learn more, please visit albertus.edu.