“Out-In-Two” Receives $486,000 Grant From The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation

February 6, 2007

BMCC has received a three-year grant of $486,000 from The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation to support its innovative Out-In-Two scholarship program.

The Out-In-Two scholarship program provides full scholarships to students who complete their coursework in two years, and helps them transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The program also offers personalized academic support. Since its inception at BMCC, 165 students have graduated from the program, going on to such prestigious four-year institutions as Columbia University, New York University and Stanford University. The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation grant will provide 25 full tuition scholarships, funds for books and enrichment activities to foster a sense of community among the scholars. The grant will also provide an emergency fund for students who encounter unexpected economic hardships.

“This extremely generous gift from The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation will help low-income, predominantly minority students achieve significant academic advancement,” said Antonio Pérez, President of Borough of Manhattan Community College. “We are very grateful to the Foundation for supporting BMCC’s mission of providing an affordable, high-value education to one of the most diverse student populations in the country. The Out-In-Two program is crucial to helping our students with high academic potential overcome the economic barriers that might otherwise stand in the way of their education.”

While BMCC’s $2800 annual tuition is low by comparison to senior colleges, the majority of its students come from low-income backgrounds and are the first generation in their families to attend college. 83% come from households with income less than $35,000, and 40% have income of $20,000 or less. Many of the students work full-time and are raising families. Such complex schedules and precarious financial situations can interrupt their school work and derail their education. By helping students graduate within two years and alleviating them of tuition payments, Out-In-Two greatly increases their chances of educational advancement.

Out-In-Two has proven extremely effective at BMCC. A survey of the most recent graduates from the program, with a 62% response rate, showed that 100% of the respondents had transferred to a senior college, and all agreed that the program had been instrumental in their success.

A total of 40 Out-In-Two students were enrolled during the spring 2006 semester. 29 of those 40 (73%) made the Dean’s List. The graduation rate for all Out-In-Two students since its inception is 76%, far exceeding the 31% national average. Individual cohort graduation rates have been as high as 84%. The lowest GPA for all current Out-In-Two students was 3.0, and the highest was 4.0.

“BMCC is one of the leading community colleges in the country for helping minority and low income students transfer to senior colleges and pursue bachelor degrees, and theOut In Two scholarship program has been critically important in facilitating our students’ success,” said Lesley Leppert, Assistant Director of the Academic Advisement and Transfer Center at BMCC. “With the grant from The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation, we will be able to make this program more accessible and even more valuable to students as they pursue their full academic potential.”

Samantha Paredes, who participated in the Out-in-Two scholarship program while at BMCC and is now attending City College, said the financial and academic support provided by the program was instrumental in her academic achievement. Paredes, who lives with her mother and brother in Sunnyside, Queens, worked full time while attending classes to pay for her tuition.The scholarship allowed her to work only on weekends so she could devote more time to her schoolwork. “The Out-in-Two program helped in many ways,” said Paredes. “It brought out the best in me and showed me I could do things I never thought I could do, like taking five or six classes at a time. Because of the way it pushed me, now I feel like I can do anything.”Paredes said she is considering various academic pursuits, including going medical school.

In order to qualify for Out-in-Two, students must be first-time freshmen enrolled in a qualifying degree program, earn a minimum of 12 degree credits and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher their first semester. They must also maintain an academic program allowing them graduate within four consecutive full time fall and spring semesters.

Additional financial support for Out-in-Two is provided by the Citigroup Foundation, the James T. Lee Foundation, and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation.

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