Milwaukee Co-op Year

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100% Tuition-Funded First Year Of College

Lakeland University is a pioneer in the region for granting college credit for paid professional experiences through its Cooperative Education program. Now, LU has created a new pathway for Milwaukee-area students who cannot attend Lakeland due to distance or because they are still deciding whether to attend college or begin their career.

Questions? Contact KJ Odom!

Award-Winning Cooperative Education Program

Who is Co-Op Year for?

Lakeland’s Milwaukee Co-Op Year provides an innovative solution by giving students an exploratory first-year collegiate experience.

Who is this program designed for?

I don't know exactly what I should do after graduating high school.
I'm not sure if I'm ready for college after COVID made my senior year a challenge.
I want to stay in Milwaukee to continue assisting my family.
I want to stay in Milwaukee to save on room and board costs of college.
I think I want to go to college, but I think I should work for a year to save up first.
I want to go to college, but I don't know how I'm going to pay for it.
I want to go to college, but I don't know what I should study.

U.S. News & World REport Best Colleges Social Mobility 2022

Milwaukee Co-Op Year Employer Partner Logos

Preparing Students For Success

Program Description

Students will take 100% tuition-funded courses at Lakeland’s Milwaukee Center, located at 9000 W. Chester St. in Milwaukee, for their first year. Lakeland will also help students find a good-paying part-time job at one of our area employer partners, a list that includes Wisconsin Tube & Steel, North Central Group, Tri City National Bank, HellermanTyton, Hydrite, Chr. Hansen, Allied Universal ... among many others.

The Co-Op Year will provide students with:

A 100% tuition-funded first year of college, along with tuition-funded pathways for a second, third, and fourth year
A collegiate experience that blends a good-paying part-time job that also earns you college credits through LU's Cooperative Education program, along with classwork designed to help you plan and get a start on a successful future.
- Jobs and courses are cohorted, which means you'll have classmates to lean on and support.
- LU provides coaching and placement assistance with part-time jobs.
- Coursework is centered around your real-life experiences and situations.
- Lakeland will provide transportation to the main campus to bring students to sporting events, concerts, plays, musicals and other student life programs.

After year one, students will have several pathways, and Lakeland will provide personal mentoring to help individual students develop the best plan for their future:

Earn a two-year or four-year degree from Lakeland in Milwaukee or on Lakeland's main campus.
Transfer to another college, including one of our Milwaukee technical college partners.
Continue into the workforce.

Program Outcomes

Successful completion of the Milwaukee Co-Op Year will provide students with:

28-31 college credits, which is equivalent to a full-time freshman year
- Beyond the credits earned through Co-Op with your part-time job, additional general studies and elective coursework may include:
  - Interpersonal Communication
  - Composition I
  - Intro to Business Administration
  - College Success Seminar
  - Core I: Foundations of Critical Thinking
  - Quantitative Reasoning
At least 320 hours of part-time employment, with the ability to work 500+ over 9-12 months.
Development of an informed plan for your future (career, academic, and personal goals and action plans).

Apply Now!

Enrollment Requirements

Click here to submit a FREE application for admission
Submit official high school transcript to Lakeland University
Submit a valid FAFSA to Lakeland in advance of the start of the term – FAFSA.gov (School Code: 003854)

Apply Now

Additional Information

Sample Daily Agenda

You might be wondering what your days might look like Monday - Friday.

7:48 a.m. – 8:25 a.m.	Take the 33 MTCS and arrive at the LU Milwaukee Center
8:25 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	Eat breakfast and prepare for class
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	Attend daily courses
11:36 a.m. – 12:19 p.m.	Take the 56 MTCS and arrive at your part-time employer
12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.	Work
5:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.	Return home

Program Calendar

Here are some important dates for the academic year:

Fall semester begins	Wednesday, September 1
Bus trip to main campus for Homecoming (football game, tailgate, etc.)	Saturday, September 18
Last day of fall semester classes	Friday, December 10
Winter workshop begins	Monday, December 13
Holiday Break	Saturday, December 25 – Sunday, January 2
Winter workshop ends	Friday, January 14
Spring semester begins	Tuesday, January 18
Bus trip to main campus for Essence of Heritage (Black History Month celebration organized by students)	February (TBD)
Spring semester ends	Friday, April 29
*Additional campus event bus trips will be finalized at a later date

KJ Odom, Lakeland University Admissions Counselor

Interested in Learning More?

Contact Us!

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact K.J. Odom, Admissions Counselor

Email: odomk@lakeland.edu
Office: 920-565-1022 ext. 2136
Cell: 920-287-0252

If you would like to schedule an in-person, or virtual visit - we would love to have you. Please contact KJ Odom to discuss your options. We look forward to meeting with you!

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