With students returning to college campuses around Michigan and throughout America, scholarship funders, especially community foundations, have a chance to provide flexible and adaptive support to those students most at risk of not graduating.
Our ability to learn, adjust, change and redirect our financial support is especially critical in light of the recent challenges that students, families and institutions face with the latest FAFSA problems.
Here in Michigan multiple community foundations along with the Council of Michigan Foundations and the Michigan College Access Network are exploring ways to increase our focus and support of “High Priority” college students; those most at risk of not completing their college degree.
Too many scholarship providers feel their funds are not used strategically. Too many of us, me included, used to feel that scholarships were a one-time transaction whereby we would write a check for a graduating high school senior and then wish them luck over the next four to six years as they pursued a college degree.
Fortunately, that transactional mindset is changing. The data tells us it must.
- 27% of 1st Generation students are successful
- 34% of Black men earn a bachelor’s degree
- 31% of children with a divorced mother earn a degree
- 27% of children who have lost a parent earn a degree
- Less than 5% of youth from foster homes earn a degree
These factors, among others, are leading many community foundations to change their entire practice, policies and approaches to how we use our scholarship assets. From providing life needs funding to automatic renewals of scholarship awards, to supporting Success Coaches, there are emerging practices that need to be shared and replicated.
Our community foundation is proud to be a part of this cohort from Michigan who have released a new peer learning guide: High Priority Students: Focusing on College Success.
We look forward to more peer learning and sharing of evolving best practices focused on college success.