College Success Initiative

Post-secondary education completion data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education indicates that Cambridge students who are low-income matriculate to college at very high rates, but that the rate of degree attainment is significantly lower for these students than for their higher-income peers. Data also shows that college persistence rates are lower for students of color than for white students.

The College Success Initiative was created by a coalition of partners as a response to the significant need for Cambridge’s lower-income high school students, first-generation college students, immigrants, students underrepresented in higher education, and adult learners to plan for and complete higher education in order to attain satisfying careers and financial stability.

In addition to an educational success strategy, supporting students through degree attainment is a successful workforce development strategy. The College Success Initiative helps residents develop the skills required to earn a living wage in Cambridge and the region.

1. Students are referred to CSI through Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, the Cambridge Community Learning Center’s Bridge to College Program, Just-A-Start's YouthBuild Program and other community organizations.
2. CSI connects students to:
• College access programs operated by community-based agencies that are connected to one another through the CSI network.
• City, publicly-funded, and local non-profit programs to help remove non-academic barriers to their success, such as loss of housing, lack of employment, and more.
• Guidance for navigating institutional systems and appropriate academic support contacts in collaboration with CSI’s higher education and community partners.


3. Students who attend Bunker Hill Community College or UMass Boston, the two higher education institutions receiving the most graduates from Cambridge, are assigned a College Success Coach who:
• Helps students navigate the stresses of the transition to college.
• Connects students with institutional resources, including financial aid assistance, social activities, and academic advising.
• Provides both academic and non-academic support, referring students to community resources, including the MBTA Youth Pass Program, SNAP benefits, tax filing assistance, housing resources, and more.

CSI has three College Success Coaches who currently support students enrolled at Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) and UMass Boston (UMB):

Zanny Alter, College Success Coach at BHCC and UMB 
Asia Price, College Success Coach at BHCC (adult learners) and UMB 
Beth Sullivan, College Success Coach at BHCC 

CSI serves as the umbrella for organizations committed to the success of students who are low-income, first generation to college, or persons of color.  College access programs operated by community-based agencies are connected to one another through the CSI network. Additionally, CSI connects students to City, publicly-funded, and local non-profit programs to help remove non-academic barriers to their success such as loss of housing, lack of employment, and more. Lastly, in collaboration with our higher education partners, CSI provides guidance for navigating institutional systems and connecting students to appropriate academic support personnel.

City of Cambridge and Publicly-Funded Programs:

• Cambridge Housing Authority*
• Community Learning Center Bridge to College Program
• DHSP Cambridge Youth Programs
• DHSP Office of Workforce Development 

Non-Profit Partners:

• American Student Assistance
• Breakthrough Greater Boston
• Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee
• Cambridge School Volunteers
• Enroot Education*
• Homeowner's Rehab, Inc.
• Just-A-Start YouthBuild and Career Training
• Upward Bound MIT / Wellesley

High Education Partners:

• Bunker Hill Community College
• UMass Boston
• Lesley University
• Match Beyond

*Partner programs Enroot and Cambridge Housing Authority's Workforce Program also provide coaching support to their students, who are enrolled at a variety of colleges.