University of St. Thomas graduates class of 300 first-generation, minority students from associate's program debt free
MINNEAPOLIS -- A group of 300 soon-to-be graduates at the University of St. Thomas' Dougherty Family College marked the milestone of graduating debt-free during a block party on Thursday.
DFC offers a two-year associate's degree program, enrolling predominantly minority and first-generation college students. By the time the students graduate, the goal is that they'll be able to transfer into a four-year program without debt.
Students are provided two meals a day, a metro pass, and a free laptop.
"When we invest in our scholars, the return of that investment is taht we're going to solve the social problems we're facing today," said Dean Buffy Smith.
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Jaylen Hall's academic success at DFC earned her a full ride to a bachelor's degree, where she hopes to major in social work and minor in criminal justice.
"I'm Black, I'm female, I come from Black community and there's a lot of Black youth in the criminal justice systems that need help and need more people like me to help them," she said. "I don't even know where I would be in my college journey if it wasn't for DFC."
Smith says the college raises $3 million a year to support its scholars, and they're hoping to raise more in the future to build a dorm for students from outside the Twin Cities, and from out of state.
Organizers for Thursday's block party had no idea it would happen the day after the state senate passed a bill that could make college free for some families in Minnesota.
