St. Louis Community College is preparing to launch a new program next spring that will provide tuition assistance and support services to an initial group of 100 students from St. Louis and North County.
The program is intended to reduce financial and non-academic barriers that can prevent students from earning a degree or certificate. Officials said eligibility requirements are still being finalized.
“It’s a program we’re hoping to have ready for the spring semester,” said Sharifah Sims-Williams, a spokesperson for the college. “And the whole idea behind the program is to have support and wraparound services in place to help students overcome barriers to receiving a degree or certification.”
In addition to tuition assistance, the college plans to help students cover expenses such as food, transportation and books.
For Isaiah Dixion, a sophomore at STLCC’s Florissant Valley campus, the support would come at a critical time. He said that while he’s fortunate to have the support he needs to attend college, many of his peers face a very different reality.
“I think this program would be really good for anybody in general, especially right now with what’s going on in our country,” Dixion said. “I think a lot of people are struggling with the most basic of needs.”
National research suggests promise programs can increase college enrollment, particularly among Black students. A study published in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis found enrollment gains of 51% among Black women and 47% among Black men participating in promise programs.
A study published by the American Educational Research Association examining 33 promise programs at 32 community colleges found first-time, full-time enrollment increased an average of 23% compared with colleges without such programs.
“This program could be a great opportunity for people who are less fortunate — who think they can’t go to college. A lot of them are smart, but they don’t have the means to use that talent and education,” said Bahaldin Kabara, another student at the Florissant Valley campus. “So, this would be a good thing, not just for them, but for society as a whole. The more educated people there are, the better society is.”
STLCC plans to announce finalized application details and guidelines prior to spring registration.