Community College of Phila. Offers Motivated, Lower-Income Students Free Tuition
By Suzanne Monaghan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Community College of Philadelphia is offering a free education to hundreds of graduating high school students as part of its "50th Anniversary Scholars" program.
The program is open to 2015 graduates of Philadelphia high schools who plan to enroll full-time at CCP toward an associates' degree.
College president Donald "Guy" Generals notes that students must meet certain criteria.
"They have to be determined to be Pell-eligible, which is based on your household income. They have to test at the college level in their language abilities, giving them one semester to complete any mathematics remediation they have to deal with," he explains.
If accepted, the school will cover the remaining tuition balance not covered by grants. Students must maintain a 2.5 GPA and complete their degree in three years.
Generals notes that the program is meant to address the problem that many students face: they can't afford high loan payments once they graduate.
"In many ways, we're following the lead of a growing trend around the country," he tells KYW Newsradio, "but more importantly, we've known this for quite a while that there needs to be better ways of supporting students, especially in inner cities, who really struggle to meet the tuition and fees demand."
