College Partnerships Update
Montgomery County Ohio College Promise is committed to providing underresourced students a mentor throughout high school and a comprehensive college scholarship once they graduate. We rely on a network of regional colleges and universities to support our students during their postsecondary education, where they can earn a bachelor’s degree at little to no cost to their family. We know that most college graduates will choose to live and work close to home, which retains the investment in our area.
The original vision remains in place, but certain factors have made this process a little more complex. When the program began in 2010, students would have up to three years to earn an associate degree and then transfer to complete their junior and senior years at one of our university partners. We could keep costs low and ensure students have a strong educational foundation before transitioning to a university setting.
While many of our students followed this pathway and were successful, others chose to attend a university directly while still others went out of our network and incurred the full cost of a college education. In addition, as more universities signed on, they wanted our students to be part of the campus community for all four years and receive the full residential experience.
Needless to say, our program has evolved based upon the needs of students and our partners. We still have a transfer pathway but have added additional direct entry options. As a result, we have seen more students stay in our network, which ensures we can keep costs low while knowing they will receive a quality education.
Overall, our commitment to College Promise scholars remains the same. We recently added four new universities, which include Bowling Green State University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein University, and the University of Findlay. Our full list of partners can be found here: https://mcocp.org/about-us/#partners
With now 17 college and university partners, our goal is that students will find the best option to fit their needs, as we know finding the right match is one of the biggest indicators of future success. We would especially like to thank our partners for making this life-changing opportunity a reality!