AMHERST — Community college graduates will be eligible for a number of benefits and guaranteed admission to the flagship campus at the University of Massachusetts with the creation of the UMass Amherst Community College Connection.



The program was announced Wednesday by Chancellor Robert C. Holub at Roxbury Community College, where he was joined by Gov. Deval Patrick and Roxbury Community College President Terrence A. Gomes.



The program is for community college graduates pursuing admission through the existing Joint Admissions or MassTransfer programs who complete their associate's degree with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher, according to a press release. These students are guaranteed general admission to UMass with applications processed before those of other transfer students. Students who earn a grade point average of 3.0 or above will also be eligible for free in-state tuition, currently $1,714.



Qualifying students also will have priority review of financial aid offerings before other transfer students, and will be eligible for special scholarships, including money to buy books.



In a prepared statement, Patrick said "Community College Connection provides students with critical support to bolster their chances at success. I commend the leadership at UMass and our Community Colleges for enthusiastically embracing this wonderful opportunity to collaborate."



"We take seriously our historic mission of access as the Commonwealth's land-grant university," Holub said in a statement. "And facilitating the enrollment of community college graduates, who have a proven track record of success, is one way to guarantee access. We want students here at Roxbury and community colleges across Massachusetts to envision a future at UMass Amherst, the state's flagship public university and one of the nation's premier research institutions."



The program will begin in the fall semester. More than 500 community college graduates transfer to UMass Amherst each fall. Nine out of 10 of these students continue into their second year, and seven out of 10 graduate with a UMass Amherst bachelor's degree, according to the release.