Capital Community College (CCC) has been awarded a state Office of Higher Education (OHE) grant of $75,000 to improve the academic standing of minority students in need of tutoring and support to succeed at the college level.

OHE’s Minority Advancement Program is providing the College with new funds for 2019 through its Promoting Academically Successful Students (PASS) initiative to help students on probation  “develop sustainable college skills to remain on track to graduation” with a focus on “improving the retention and graduation rates of minority students at Connecticut colleges and universities.”

CCC, one of the most ethnically diverse campuses in New England with African-American and Hispanic enrollment at 68%, will expand services to academically at risk students at its Advising & Counseling Center  through intensive academic advising and dedicated tutors, student success workshops, enhanced communication through texting with students and volunteer success coaching. The College will also provide financial help for textbooks and with student emergency microgrants to increase the retention of academically at risk students. Through the PASS grant Capital seeks to reach 50 African-American and Hispanic students on probationary status and help them succeed for graduation and transfer.

“Retention is our number one priority and this grant will move the needle in helping us improve student outcomes,” said Capital’s Chief Executive Officer Duncan Harris. “It gives us the resources to help more students succeed.”

The PASS grant complements Capital’s efforts this academic year to  establish an Equity Center designed as a one-stop place to address issues outside the college environment that negatively impact academic performance, including a women’s center, Capital Cares food pantry and personal finance courses and counseling.

Capital, enrolling 3,315 students at its downtown Hartford campus, offers 36 associate degrees and 24 certificate programs. Three-quarters of enrollment comes from Hartford and nearby towns.  One of the first Connecticut community colleges to join the national “Achieving the Dream” (ATD) initiative,  CCC uses grant funds such as the PASS grant for  strategies and interventions to close achievement gaps and promote student success.