College Promise: Life-changing opportunity
Montgomery County Ohio College Promise (MCOCP) began with the vision to provide poverty-impacted students an opportunity to attend and graduate from college at little or no cost to their families. The idea was to select from a pool of high-achieving eighth-grade students, many of whom couldn’t afford to attain higher education without financial aid and/or scholarships, and pair them with a volunteer mentor who would offer guidance and support throughout high school. This mentoring relationship, along with scholarship assistance, would set these students up for success in completing their college degree.
MCOCP launched in 2010, with the first cohort of College Promise scholars beginning high school in 2011. Considerable support from the community helped to make this program a reality. A total of $6.4 million originally was raised to support the first 10 cohorts comprised of 500 students. In 2022, MCOCP selected the 12th cohort of College Promise scholars who will be freshmen in high school this fall. To date, the program has touched the lives of more than 600 families.
College Promise scholars are selected in eighth grade with support from middle school counselors and administrators. Each student must submit a comprehensive application that includes their interest in the program, family situation, finances, grades, attendance, test scores, activities and letters of recommendation. Applications are evaluated based upon merit, and the top candidates are interviewed, after which final selections are made.
A crucial part of the success of this program is the pairing of volunteer mentors with each College Promise scholar. Mentors complete an application, undergo a background check and participate in a training that provides them with the skills, guidelines and resources necessary to serve in the role. Mentors come from all walks of life. Above all, mentors commit to acting in their student’s best interest and meeting with them once a week during the school year.
Upon high school graduation, students attend one of our 13 partner colleges and universities at little to no cost. These partners include Antioch College, Central State University, Denison University, Kettering College, Miami University,
Miami University Regionals, Ohio Northern University, Ohio University, Sinclair Community College, University of Dayton, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and Wright State University. Each student has the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree with a significant financial contribution from MCOCP in addition to college/university scholarships and free federal and state aid.
MCOCP has had tremendous success and aligns with community efforts that support college completion. College Promise Scholars have higher enrollment rates, persistence, rates, and graduation rates than students countywide, regardless of income status. We are excited to announce that through the Extend the Promise Campaign, the program will continue through 20 cohorts, thus impacting the lives of 1,000 Montgomery County students. We currently are at 90% of the $2.75 million campaign goal — and are happy to announce a $100,000 challenge grant from funds of The Dayton Foundation to help us reach this goal.
MCOCP was developed through the tireless efforts of John Taylor, Ned Sifferlen and original executive director Gary Smiga. This community asset thrives today thanks to unwavering support from donors, school districts, partner colleges and universities, the MCOCP Board of Trustees, The Dayton Foundation, Learn to Earn Dayton, the Montgomery County Educational Service Center, students, families, mentors and so many more who make this life-changing opportunity possible. We are deeply grateful for their commitment. To learn how you can support the Extend the Promise Campaign or become a MCOCP mentor, visit https:// mcocp.org.