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Western New England University and Shorelight Announce Partnership for International Students

SPRINGFIELD, MA (04/12/2022) Western New England (WNE) University and Shorelight has announced the launch of a new strategic partnership that will provide international students with the opportunity to receive a transformative WNE education. This collaboration will further enhance the University’s mission to develop students to become informed and responsible leaders and problem-solvers equipped to create value and thrive in a complex hyperconnected world.

As a comprehensive private institution with National University status, Western New England University embraces the possibilities of the future through a transformative, dynamic, and innovative institutional model that empowers agile and adaptive learners and earners, capable of navigating change, disruption, and ambiguity while achieving personal and professional success and creating value in a global society.

“I could not be more excited about this partnership. The new international students that enroll at WNE will work directly with renowned faculty in computer science, engineering, and pharmaceutical sciences, to name a few. Our proximity to Boston and New York City will provide opportunities for robust curricular practical training while studying, and optional practical training upon graduation. Through this partnership, the WNE community will make a positive difference in the lives of students for generations to come, which is why we do what we do.” said Western New England University Vice President for Enrollment Management & Marketing Bryan Gross.

Shorelight is a leading international student marketplace that helps international students find the right university and degree program. Shorelight’s signature undergraduate and graduate support programs will help Western New England recruit and retain international students from across the world and provide individualized support to international students from recruitment through graduation. A partnership with Shorelight will allow more international students to access Western New England University’s robust undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees from among the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Pharmacy and Health Sciences, School of Law, and more than 90 academic programs. Shorelight will provide Western New England University access to a global population of talented students and foster diversity and cultural understanding.

“We are thrilled to connect international students looking for a high-quality education with Western New England University and provide the tools and resources each student needs to be successful throughout their educational journey,” said Shorelight CEO Tom Dretler. “International students who choose to study at Western New England University will benefit from a student-centered approach, dedication to teaching, and commitment to service learning. We know that world-class international students seeking a transformative higher education experience in the U.S. will find it at Western New England and contribute in so many ways to campus and the surrounding community.”

The first international students welcomed as a part of this partnership will arrive on campus at Western New England University for the Spring 2023 semester. Students also have the option to begin their studies in Spring 2023 through Shorelight’s digital platform, American Collegiate Live.

Western New England University (WNE) is a private, nationally ranked, comprehensive institution with a focus on preparing work-ready and world-ready graduates. Founded in 1919 in Springfield, Massachusetts as a division of Northeastern College, WNE’s 215-acre suburban campus serves more than 3,700 students, including over 2,500 full-time undergraduates. More than 47,000 alumni have earned degrees through its 90+ undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs at Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, and Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and School of Law. Students come from 39 U.S. states and territories and 23 countries. Of 45,104 living alumni, 30% remain within the region, residing in the four Western Massachusetts counties and northern Connecticut.

WNE is classified among nationally ranked universities in US News and World Report, and among the Top 100 Undergraduate Engineering programs, and in the Doctoral/Professional Universities category in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.