Together Through College, led by Degrees of Change, will receive nearly $3.4 million over five years to help low-income students stay on track and graduate from colleges.  Guided Pathways, led by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, will receive more than $7 million over eight years to make system-level changes that will provide more clarity on how to navigate the path to a desired degree. 

Together Through College is a cohort-based program in which groups of students graduating from the same community and heading off to the same college receive a range of services including peer and adult mentoring, college readiness and academic supports, help in navigating college-based services, and leadership training.  This model calls on a collaborative effort between colleges and community organizations to work together to improve the success of local college students.  

Guided Pathways is an evidence-based approach that simplifies choices about college courses, informs and supports those choices, and directs students into an intentional, comprehensive program of study that leads to a credential.  Students who also receive focused advising to support their progress toward their chosen degree goals.

"We are supporting organizations and ideas that are making progress on postsecondary persistence and completion rates for low-income students," said Christine McCabe, Executive Director at College Spark Washington.  "Both programs have shown evidence of effectiveness, and these organizations have track records of success with innovative and bold strategies." 

Bridge to College Math and English Language Arts courses are available for seniors who score below the college-ready level on the Smarter Balanced Assessment in 11th grade.  Students who pass the course will be considered college-ready by the majority of colleges in Washington and permitted to enroll in college-level math courses without additional placement testing.  Visit the recently launched Bridge to College website for more information and resources for students, parents, and educators.