President Potter with the U.S. Department of Education’s Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr., on March 24 in Washington, D.C.
President Earl H. Potter lll attended a U.S. Department of Education-hosted meeting March 24 focused on highlighting institutions across the country that are making significant strides in increasing graduation rates among Pell-eligible students.
The Department of Education conference brought together college presidents, trustees and campus leaders from across the nation to discuss ongoing work. The event spotlighted the promising and proven practices developed by these institutions to advance success for low-income students and encourage broader conversations among the field to accelerate this work.
“Important work to improve graduation rates and make changes for students to be successful is occurring across the nation, and it is an honor for St. Cloud State University to be a part of this important work,” Potter said.
The conference was held in conjunction with the release of a new U.S. Department of Education report “Fulfilling the Promise, Serving the Need: Advancing College Opportunity for Low Income Students,” which highlights efforts to expand access to all students and offer targeted supports for low-income students.
The report is a call to action for institutions with significant gaps between completion rates for Pell recipients and overall completion rates, as well as institutions that have positive outcomes but enroll too few low-income students.
“For students from low- and moderate-income families, a college degree is the surest path to the middle class in our country. I applaud colleges and universities that have taken measureable steps to open up this pathway and make it a successful one for students from all backgrounds. But we need these types of efforts to become the rule and not the exception,” said U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr.
The number of federal need-based Pell Grants at St. Cloud State is increasing. In 2001, 2,497 students were awarded $4.1 million in Pell Grants. In 2015, 4,629 students were awarded $17.4 million.
First-time students who are Pell Grant recipients are more likely to be students of color, first-generation college students and have lower ACTs and high school GPAs. St. Cloud State was able to provide needed assistance at an increased level to these students in 2013 and 2014 thanks to a Facilitating Responsible Education Experiences (FREE) program grant.
