ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan aims to quadruple its enrollment of low- and moderate-income community college transfer students over the next four years with the assistance of a $1 million grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

U-M will invest an additional $3.79 million from its own resources for the initiative.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation today (March 6) announced that U-M is one of eight top colleges and universities chosen for its program to increase opportunities for high-achieving low-income community college students to earn bachelor’s degrees from selective four-year institutions. Together, the universities and the foundation will invest $27 million. The foundation noted that it is the largest shared investment to date by leading colleges and universities to overcome the lack of opportunities for low-income students.

Through the investment, the Jack Cook Kent Foundation, three public universities, and five private colleges and universities will build programs to encourage transfer. The schools are: U-M; Amherst College (Mass.); Bucknell University (Pa.); Cornell University (N.Y.); Mount Holyoke College (Mass.); the University of California-Berkeley; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and the University of Southern California.

The private, independent foundation was established in 2000 by the estate of Canadian businessman Jack Kent Cooke to help young people of exceptional promise reach their full potential through education.

Efforts being undertaken by the University of Michigan include:

• Deeper relationships between U-M and community colleges, including a road show by a team of U-M admissions and financial aid staff who will visit the campuses of all 31 Michigan community and tribal colleges.
• Relationships with financial aid and student-counseling staff at community colleges to identify and mentor prospective low-income transfer students.
• Better ways to communicate clearly to transfer students about U-M admissions requirements, financial aid opportunities and credit transfer policies.
• More personal outreach to students advising that to helps them navigate the process from both the academic and financial aid perspectives.
• Involving families in the transfer process by expanding the existing campus days for admitted first-year students to include admitted transfer students.
• Enhanced dual enrollment opportunities, such as an online course in engineering that will enable community college students to earn U-M credit, and increased articulation agreements in nursing.

Some specific activities will include:

• A long weekend for incoming transfer students on the U-M campus to assist transition Mentoring, peer mentoring and study group initiatives for transfer students, especially during their critical first semester after transfer.
• A Community College Research Fellows program that will expand U-M’s existing Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program to give community college students considering transfer an opportunity to do research with U-M faculty.
• A conference for community college presidents and administrators to forge relationships and kick off the program.

Academic leaders comment on the project:

U-M President Mary Sue Coleman said,” As a public institution we place a high priority on making the University of Michigan accessible to students of limited means. We are delighted that this grant will enable us to provide new pathways into the University of high-achieving community college students. We are committed to overcoming barriers to admission, whether real or perceived, and ensuring that we enroll a socio-economically diverse student body.”

Matthew J. Quinn, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation said,” Our country has a treasure of untapped talent at our community colleges, including many outstanding students from low-income backgrounds. This initiative will help selective colleges and universities achieve their goals of access and excellence and enable these students to graduate from the highest-ranking institutions. We will all benefit if every qualified student with financial need has such opportunities.”

Larry Whitworth, president of Washtenaw Community College said,” We have enjoyed tremendous success with the M-TIES program, which was set up several years ago by the two institutions to help our students transfer to U-M. We are gratified to see that the methods of the M-TIES model are being replicated to all 31 Michigan community and tribal colleges, and optimistic that it will achieve its goals.”

Conway A. Jeffress, president of Schoolcraft College said,” We look forward to working with the University of Michigan in implementing this grant to increase the number of transfer students. When students receive encouragement and assistance in continuing their education, the students, the institutions and the state all are beneficiaries.”

Background information:

U-M is committed to creating and serving a diverse body of students and faculty, and socio-economic status has long been a factor in admissions. In the revised, holistic application processes for undergraduate admissions developed after the Supreme Court case, the University began to develop a broader picture of applicants’ socioeconomic status, such as asking the parents’ occupation and whether anyone in their family had ever attended college.

The University has a longstanding commitment to ensure that the full demonstrated financial need of every in-state undergraduate student is met with a package of grants, gifts, work study and loans. Michigan’s admissions are need-blind.

U-M created a new financial assistance program in 2005, M-PACT, to increase the need-based grant assistance to undergraduate students and decrease their reliance on loans. M-PACT increased the grant portion of financial assistance to $12,200 per year for students at the lowest income level.

A statewide effort to facilitate community college transfers and college completion has risen from the Cherry Commission work on the future of higher education in Michigan and its emphasis on increasing the number of Michigan residents who earn a college degree.

U-M’s fund-raising campaign, The Michigan Difference, has set a high goal for increasing student support.

Related Links:

• More on The Michigan Difference