Purdue program helping Indiana students honored with award
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A Purdue University program that supports Indiana students on merit and financial based-scholarships received national recognition.
The College Board, a nonprofit organization that administers college entrance exams, selected Purdue Promise as the Midwestern Region winner for the Getting Through category of its CollegeKeys Compact 2011 Innovation Awards. Purdue Promise provides financial and personal support for eligible Twenty-first Century Scholars at Purdue University.
"Purdue Promise not only offers financial support but also provides programming and individual guidance to help students transition into and succeed at Purdue," said Dan Carpenter, interim director of Student Access, Transition and Success Programs. "The program creates a smaller community on Purdue's campus through our required courses, learning communities, peer mentoring, and one-on-one support from our staff."
Students are required to attend tutoring, mentoring and social events, and take a one- or two-credit college success course for their respective year in the program, said Jenna Seabold, senior assistant director of Student Access, Transition and Success Programs and coordinator of Purdue Promise. The first-year course is focused on transitioning into college while the upper level courses introduce the students to undergraduate research, internship opportunities, and prepare them for their next step after graduation.
Purdue Promise, which started in fall 2009 with 171 students, is now serving 372. In order to qualify for the program, students must be Twenty-first Century Scholars who meet the Purdue Promise income criteria and enroll in Purdue as full-time students in the fall semester of their first year. The students must also agree to participate in the support program all four years in order to receive the financial support. Additionally, 28 Emerging Urban Leader and seven Purdue Opportunity Award scholarship winners also currently participate in Purdue Promise.
After only one year, students in this program have already shown a positive one-year retention rate outcome when compared to Twenty-first Century Scholars who are not in Purdue Promise. The first- to second-year retention rate for Purdue Promise students is 87 percent compared to 83 percent for other Twenty-first Century Scholars who are not in the program.
Purdue was recognized and received $5,000 at the Midwestern Regional Forum on Sunday (Feb. 13). This award honors programs and highlights best practices that help students with low-income backgrounds succeed at college.
"These additional funds will allow Purdue Promise to improve its training for student mentors and support a career development conference for juniors," Seabold said.
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
Sources: Dan Carpenter, 765-494-2451, dwcarpen@purdue.edu
Jenna Seabold, 765-494-6357, jlaub@purdue.edu