Arkansas, Montana and Oklahoma Lead Initiative To Improve College Completion Rates
Higher education officials in Arkansas, Montana and Oklahoma are launching an initiative aimed at increasing college completion and equity for students in their states. The three states were selected as partners by Complete College America (CCA), the national non-profit dedicated to boosting postsecondary attainment in the United States.
The new effort, announced today, is made possible by a $1.75 million grant from Ascendium Education Group, which is supporting CCA’s Policy, Equity & Practice (PEP) initiative, a program begun in 2021 with the goal of improving college completion rates for students from historically underserved backgrounds.
Higher education agencies in each state will convene an overall cohort of 34 participating colleges and universities to implement and bring to scale strategies proven to eliminate disparities in higher education outcomes. Their effort will derive from CCA’s emphasis on what it calls “Purpose First” strategies, which emphasize the linkage between student goals and academic planning, particularly at the beginning of college so that students gain early momentum toward college success and completion.
