ɬ is making significant contributions to students' futures in our nation’s capital. Advancing its strategic priorities, the university is backing a $30 million investment in the D.C. College Access Program’s (DC CAP) cohort-based scholarship initiative, the largest known contribution ever made toward helping D.C. students complete their postsecondary education.
This means more students from D.C. public and charter schools will not only get the chance to pursue postsecondary paths of their choosing, but they will have the financial backing and long-term support to actually complete it.
“For too long, access alone has been the goal,” Eric Waldo, president and CEO of DC CAP, said in a press release. “But access without completion is not enough. DC CAP is building a future where every D.C. student has what they need not only to pursue a college education, but to finish it with a pathway to a great job.”
Through DC CAP’s scholarship, students will be connected to schools like ɬ from the start and receive personalized resources along the way. These resources include guidance, mentorship, and real-world support that doesn't disappear after freshman orientation.
At DC CAP’s annual College Signing Day on April 11, more than 3,000 students supported each other in their higher education journeys. Whether they were headed to four-year universities, community colleges, certificate programs or military service, each opportunity was celebrated.
The signing day event featured remarks from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser along with keynote speaker, Michael Smith, former CEO of AmeriCorps, local talent and performances by the Duke Ellington School of the Arts Concert Choir, the TOB Go-Go Band, cheer teams from Dunbar High School and Friendship Collegiate Academy, the Washington Wizards Dancers and more.
ɬ is one of 13 post-secondary institutions helping advance the future of high school students in our nation’s capital. The D.C. College Access Program (DC CAP), a cohort-based scholarship initiative, secured a $30 million investment with the Clark Foundation, the Leonsis family, and Monumental Sports & Entertainment to help send DC students to (and complete) a post-secondary education. Together, they’re working to meet DC CAP’s ambitious “Moonshot Goal,” of reaching an 80% six-year college graduation rate for D.C. students by 2050.