Adams State University was awarded a two-year grant of $330,000 from the Colorado Department of Higher Education through its Community Partner Program (CPP) of the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative program. The grant will fund programs designed to increase college attendance and success for low-income and minority students. The program will give Colorado students the necessary tools to succeed in postsecondary education and find an affordable path to the workforce.
The CPP has two components: a pre-collegiate program and a post-secondary program. The goals are to reduce achievement gaps, reduce remediation rates, increase college retention and graduation rates, reduce average time to degree completion, and expand adoption of best practices for student support services. Program activities will support college navigation through financial literacy, social and community connections, belonging, and strategies for academic success such as intrusive advising.
In the program’s first year, it is estimated the pre-collegiate program will serve some 394 junior and senior high school students in Alamosa and Monte Vista. The post-secondary program will serve approximately 172 students attending Adams State.
The pre-collegiate CPP will support students from the college search to application and enrollment, with an emphasis on financial literacy and familial engagement. Activities will include exploration of careers and colleges, and support with college applications and financial aid programs.
The post-secondary CPP will provide wrap-around services at ASU to ensure that participating students successfully persist each semester and ultimately complete their degree. Services in this program will include reviews of a student’s degree progress, individual mentoring, and a financial aid literacy workshop. Students will also enroll in a college success course to support their transition to college and a senior year completion course that focuses on next steps, such as career preparation or graduate school.
For more information on the pre-collegiate and post-secondary programs of the Community Partner Program, please contact Ken Marquez, vice president of Student Services, 719-587-7221.
