College access programs

Priming Kids for College Success — MPCC schools partner with K-12 on a variety of programs

Access to college and college preparatory programs remain a significant hurdle for many Minnesota K-12 youth who are committed to an education beyond high school. Minnesota’s Private Colleges value the very good and successful work of various “access” programs currently serving a small percentage of Minnesota students. Our member schools support and engage with these programs in an effort to increase high school graduation and college readiness of our youth. We work most closely with TRiO, Get Ready! and GEAR UP (see below).

TRiO

The Right investment Opportunity for college access, degree attainment and workforce development (TRiO) programs help low-income Americans enter college and graduate. There are currently 31 public and private colleges, universities and agencies in Minnesota that are home to federally-funded TRiO programs. They serve more than 12,000 middle and high school students; 2,000 at Minnesota’s private colleges and universities. Augsburg College, Carleton College, the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University, the College of St. Scholastica, St. Olaf College and the University of St. Thomas have one or more federal TRiO programs on their campuses.

There are five types of TRiO programs in Minnesota, working with different ages of students and targeting different gaps in our education system.

Educational Opportunity Centers help displaced or underemployed workers choose a college and a suitable financial aid program. There are 74 Educational Opportunity Centers in America, including two in Minnesota.
The Educational Talent Search (ETS) program provides promising students, ages 11 to 27, with counseling and information about college admissions requirements, scholarships and financial aid opportunities. St. Olaf College and the College of St. Scholastica sponsor ETS programs.
Upward Bound prepares high school students to do college-level work and to believe in their abilities. Students receive supplemental tutoring and instruction, and they attend a six-week summer enrichment program located on a college campus. National statistics show that students who participate in Upward Bound are four times more likely to graduate from college than those of similar backgrounds without TRiO. The College of Saint Benedict / Saint John's University, College of St. Scholastica and St. Olaf College have Upward Bound programs.
Student Support Services (SSS) provides college students with tutoring, counseling and other services students need to stay in college and earn their baccalaureate degree. National statistics show that students in SSS programs are twice as likely to remain in college as those of similar backgrounds without TRIO. Carleton College, Augsburg College, College of St. Scholastica and St. Olaf College have SSS programs.
The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program involves college sophomores, juniors and seniors in research and other scholarly activities to prepare them for graduate degree studies. Augsburg College, the University of St. Thomas, St. Olaf College and the College of St. Scholastica have McNair programs.

More information about Minnesota TRiO programs

Get Ready! And GEAR UP

Get Ready! and its associated program, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), consist of a variety of early intervention educational services for Minnesotans and their school-age children. These programs have a special emphasis on families with low incomes, families of color and families with no previous college experience. The two programs use a combination of federal and state funds to break down misperceptions about how much college costs, to encourage families' financial planning and students' academic preparation, and to educate students and families about career awareness and post-high school education options.

Program messages are delivered through college planning presentations, school counselors, theater performances for elementary and middle school classes, pamphlets, magazines, videos and the Internet.

Get Ready! And GEAR UP programs are offered by many Minnesota colleges. St. Olaf College is the only Minnesota Private College to manage a GEAR UP program.

St. Olaf GEAR UP
Claudia Perez, Director
1-507-786-3460

Our colleges

Augsburg College

Located in Minneapolis with abundant opportunities to gain experience both inside and outside the classroom.
National recognition for an effective first-year program and for combining learning with service.
Top majors are business, science, teaching
A diverse community of 3,000 students

Bethany Lutheran College

Located in Mankato overlooking the Minnesota River Valley
A community of 540 students -- most live on campus
Popular majors include business administration, communication, psychology, and elementary education
Focus is on a solid, Christian education

Bethel University

Located on a residential, wooded campus in a Twin Cities suburb
Enrolls 5,600 students in 100 undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs
Integrates faith, learning and the translation of Christian belief into global service
20 international programs; top 3 percent ranking of students who study in foreign countries

Carleton College

Residential campus in the small community of Northfield
Ranked one of the country's top liberal arts colleges
Noted for its bright and talented students and strong faculty
Enrollment of 2,000 students of diverse backgrounds

College of Saint Benedict

Together with Saint John's -- 3,800 undergraduate students have many opportunities
Located on 3,200 acres of woods and lakes west of St. Cloud
A focus on globalism includes an extensive international study program
A commitment to experiential learning, research and internships

College of St. Catherine

Largest and most comprehensive Catholic college for women in the U.S.
Beautiful campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis
Committed to meeting the educational needs of women of all ages; offers liberal arts, healthcare and professional programs in traditional and weekend formats
Serves 5,000 students

College of St. Scholastica

Main campus in Duluth; also in St. Paul, St. Cloud, Brainerd
Undergraduate and graduate programs in traditional, accelerated and online formats
Top majors: Health information management, management, education, nursing
3,200 students; 1,940 undergraduates on Duluth campus
U.S. News ranking in top tier of Midwestern universities

Concordia College

Located in the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area that includes 20,000+ college students
Serves more than 2,700 students
Top programs include the sciences, education and music
Recipient of NAFSA Simon Award for Campus Internationalization
Home of world-renowned Concordia Language Villages

Concordia University

Located in the St. Paul metro area
Serves 1,500 undergraduate and 300 graduate students of all ages and backgrounds
Top majors include Christian education, business and teacher education
A laptop university with 24/7 Web access

Gustavus Adolphus College

Oldest Lutheran college in Minnesota; Swedish heritage; home of the Nobel Conference
Beautiful residential campus located in St. Peter, overlooking the Minnesota River Valley
Prepares 2,500 undergraduates for lives of leadership, service and lifelong learning
Recognized science, writing, music, athletics, study-abroad, and service-learning programs

Hamline University

Ranked first in Minnesota among comprehensive universities according to U.S. News
4,400 undergraduate, graduate, and law students
Located in residential neighborhood of St. Paul
Intimate environment of small classes and personal attention along with the opportunities of a comprehensive university

Macalester College

1,900 undergraduates come from every state and 90 countries
Located in a friendly St. Paul neighborhood
Emphasis on global perspectives; more than half study abroad
Produced many Fulbright and Rhodes scholars

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

700 students; 14 majors in fine arts, media and design
Located next to the Children's Theater and Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Studio-based and business-oriented programs; BFA, BS and MFA degrees
Only art and design school to be named a Best Midwestern College by Princeton Review

Saint John's University

Together with Saint Benedict -- 3,800 undergraduate students have many opportunities
Located on 3,200 acres of woods and lakes west of St. Cloud.
A focus on globalism includes an extensive international study program
A commitment to experiential learning, research, internships

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Values-based, results-oriented education in the Catholic, Lasallian tradition
Outstanding environment for learning, living and recreation
400-acre Winona campus in the bluffs of the Mississippi River Valley
1,300 traditional undergraduates, with 4,100 graduate and professional students at other locations

St. Olaf College

Environmentally aware, 300-acre residential campus in historic Northfield
3,000 students; top majors are music, mathematics and the sciences
Nation's top liberal arts college for study abroad
College of the Lutheran church -- where conversations about faith are part of daily life

University of St. Thomas

Minnesota's largest private university with 10,500 students (5,500 undergraduates)
95 undergraduate majors
Main campuses located in a stately St. Paul neighborhood and in downtown Minneapolis (other campuses in Owatonna, Minn. and Rome, Italy)

Majors & minors

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