b'CONNECTINGROOTED IN COLUMBUS,ACROSS THEGROWING AROUND THE WORLDMILESWhat began as a localized promise 120 years ago has become the impetus for the Universitys mission to make a college education possible for anyone, anywherefrom high school students and ambitious professionals at every career phase, to military service members and international students around the world.By tackling the barriers that most-often prevent adult learners from achieving their goals, Franklin provides connections that make earning a degree possible. As a result of domestic and global partnerships, expertise in online learning, and personalized student-support resources, 50,000 Franklin alumni can now be found working in and serving communities across the country and around the world.MEETING STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE Franklins launch of the Community College Alliance (CCA) in 1998, united Franklin with two-year institutions to create pathways for graduates to earn affordable bachelors degrees without leaving their communities. Roughly 6,000 students attend Franklin each year, one-third of them come directly from community and technical colleges. CCA connections run both far and deep. The CCA network spans more than 120 schools in 26 states and enhances opportunities through 3+1 transfer programs, faculty and staff tuition discount programs and workforce development partnerships.#1 in OhioThanks to greater accessibility through online coursework and student-focused 3+1 partnerships, Franklin can count alumni in every corner of the Buckeye state. In fact, according to data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Database, Franklin can claim more graduates over age 25 than any university in Ohio. Moreover, Franklin was also the top choice for online degrees among nonprofit universities. Franklin also graduated more online students in accounting, business, human resources and computer science. Students and Alumni Shine in the Lone Star StateAs the transfer-friendly, flexible and affordable offerings available through Franklin University have become more widely known, so has the number of community colleges and alumni with Franklin ties. Currently 1,000 alumni and 150 students call Texas home. Many of whom found themselves at Franklin by building on degrees earned at the following Texas-based partner schools:Central Texas College (Killeen) San Jacinto College (Pasadena)Collin College (McKinney) Tarrant County College (Fort Worth)Houston Community College (Houston) Temple College (Temple)Howard College (Big Spring)8 Clocktower | Franklin News20'