Dayton Reporter

University of Dayton recently issued the following announcement.

The University of Dayton will expand support for transfer students in the UD Sinclair Academy with a grant from the American Talent Initiative for programs that can serve as national models to help more students with lower incomes graduate from the highest quality private colleges and universities.

UD is one of eight institutions to receive the inaugural $25,000 Promising Practice Accelerator grant from ATI, an alliance of top colleges and universities working to collectively graduate 50,0000 more lower-income students by 2025.

“Nationwide, too many students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree never successfully transfer from community college to a four-year school — a problem only made worse by the pandemic,” said Eric. F. Spina, UD president and ATI steering committee member. “The transfer process can be confusing, costly and blocked in many ways. The UD Sinclair Academy has been hugely successful in making a four-year education more accessible, and this grant will allow us to continue to grow the program and share best practices other colleges can replicate to create an even greater positive impact for students across the country.” 

The UD Sinclair Academy removes barriers to transfer in many ways. It offers nearly 100 pathways from a Sinclair College associate degree to a UD degree so students know exactly which classes to take, academic advisors on both campuses to guide the process, transparent four-year financial information upfront, and success professionals at UD who help with any questions or issues that might arise along the way. Students can also join UD clubs and activities while taking classes at Sinclair and study at the library, work out at UD’s RecPlex, participate in the marching band, and more. The ATI grant will help UD build upon the success of the Academy. 

Political science major Michael Gibson said he learned about the Academy while registering for classes at Sinclair. Originally planning to pursue the college’s paralegal program, he said the Academy opened the opportunity for him to attend UD and eventually plan for law school.

“I’m paying for college myself, so this was the best bang for my buck,” said Gibson, the first member of his family to attend a four-year university. “I feel like I’m starting a brand new chapter in my life,” he said. “I’m ready to meet new people, network and make lifelong friends. It’s a big step in my future.”

The Academy, which launched in 2016, has enrolled nearly 500 students as of fall 2021. More information is available online.

Original source can be found here.