College Possible Receives Grant from Travelers to Expand College Success Program

$300,000 grant will help the organization reach underrepresented community college students

ST. PAUL, Minn., Dec. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- College Possible, the pioneering nonprofit that connects high school and college students with near-peer coaches, today announced a $300,000 grant from Travelers, a leading property and casualty insurance company. The grant will support the expansion of College Possible's Catalyze program to the community college level, with the goal of boosting completion rates for first-generation college students and aspiring graduates from low socioeconomic backgrounds.     

"Community colleges can be engines for economic mobility and springboards into bachelor's degree programs," said Catherine Marciano, vice president of partnerships at College Possible. "This is about providing students with evidence-based support to achieve their degree objectives, regardless of the path they take. Travelers has played a profound role in expanding our scale and impact over the years, and this grant will enable us to meet the needs of our students with intentionality as we continue to build out our Catalyze program." 

By integrating near-peer coaching and mentoring solutions directly onto college campuses, the Catalyze program has been instrumental in increasing student retention rates at partner institutions by up to 14% and driving double-digit gains in retention rates among first-year students.

As College Possible's strategic partner for the last two decades, Travelers has helped the organization broaden its mission to provide students with access to a higher education. 

"Travelers is proud to support College Possible in helping students succeed," said Tara N. Spain, vice president and chief operating officer of the Travelers Foundation. "We are confident that the Catalyze program and its proven coaching model will continue to address and adapt to the unique challenges that community college students face as they move toward graduation."

About College Possible

As one of the largest and most successful college access and success programs in the country, since 2000 College Possible has helped more than 80,000 students from under-represented communities get into and through college through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support. Its pioneering model matches students with a near-peer coach and an evidence-based curriculum designed to help students overcome the most common barriers to getting into college and completing their degree – all at no cost to students or their families. Nationwide, College Possible students are three times more likely to earn a bachelor's degree within six years than their peers from similar backgrounds. Headquartered in Saint Paul, MN, College Possible operates: regional sites in Chicago, IL; Milwaukee, WI; Omaha, NE; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; and Seattle, WA; College Forward in Austin, TX; and Catalyze partnerships in California, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee. Learn more at CollegePossible.org.

SOURCE College Possible