Maria Loyd is the first UD Sinclair Academy student to officially transfer to the University of Dayton, and hopes others that are interested enroll in the program.
The program is intended to ease the transition from a two year college to a four year college while making a UD education more affordable.
Students take their first two years of courses at Sinclair and earn their associate degree, then go on to UD to earn their bachelor’s.
There are many perks given to members of the academy, including access to UD facilities like the recreation center, various sports fields on campus and membership in the over 270 student clubs and organizations.
Loyd started out at Sinclair as a business major, and after taking some classes and exploring her options settled on education, which was what she really wanted to do.
“This was the best place to explore different majors and figure out what I wanted to do, since the cost of tuition was so low,” Loyd said.
The University of Dayton wasn’t Loyd’s first choice to get her bachelor’s degree.
“For me, it was an unrealistic goal, because of the cost, so I honestly never believed I’d be a Flyer and be where I am today,” Loyd said.
It wasn’t until learning about the academy in her sophomore year and being told all of her classes would transfer that UD became an option for Loyd.
One of the perks students entering the academy receive is half off of their tuition. She also earned a $500 textbook scholarship that qualifies for 5 semesters.
She believes the biggest benefit to students in the program is the lowered cost of tuition.
“A lot of people come to Sinclair for a great education at a low cost,” Loyd said. “And being part of UD Sinclair academy allows them to continue to get their bachelor’s degree at an affordable rate.”
Loyd also believes that the more affordable tuition will help many in the Dayton community earn a higher level of education they may not have been able to receive.
She is now in her fifth week of class, and feels that being able to experience what UD has to offer while taking Sinclair courses helped make the transition between the two schools seamless.
Students involved in the program meet with an academic advisor from UD in addition to their Sinclair advisor to make sure their credits are on track to transfer.
“It really made the transition great, because I was able to use resources there and I kinda felt like part of the community, being at UD while I was still part of Sinclair,” Loyd said.
She will still be familiar with the Sinclair campus, as she works as a manager at the Starbucks in the library. She attributes both campus’s ability to work around student schedules as a reason for her success.
“I can still work here and go to UD and still be a part of the Sinclair community, and that’s great” Loyd said.
While Loyd receives half off of UD tuition as a member of the academy, she still had to take out loans to cover the cost, something that she doesn’t mind doing.
“I’m ok with taking out these loans since my Sinclair education is paid for, and I only have two years left,” Loyd said.
Loyd’s advice to students in the program is this:
“Definitely take advantage of using the resources offered from UD along with the ones from Sinclair; it makes the transition even easier than it already is.”
She commutes to UD’s campus and looks forward to furthering her education by teaching students in the Dayton area. She’s also looking forward to going to basketball games at UD arena.
“Both schools are great schools, and I’ve been very blessed to be a part of a community in both of them,” Loyd said.
Loyd graduated from Kettering Fairmont in 2014 and is a junior this year. She expects to graduate with a teaching degree in 2019.
Expect to see more of Loyd in the Dayton area, as she will be part of commercials, advertisements and will be on Sinclair’s Facebook page to talk about the program and its benefits.
For more information on the UD Sinclair academy including the benefits, requirements and the 25 available majors visit www.udayton.edu/academy/index.
Henry Wolski
Executive Editor