A $1 million donation will help eight Twin Cities colleges make sure students are ready for their freshman year.
A gift from Beverly and Richard Fink will help Minnesota State two-year colleges in the metro create the “Summer Scholars Academy” to tutor new students who are not ready for college-level work. The program will focus on math, reading, writing and study skills during the summer months before the fall semester.
Minnesota state officials estimate the program will serve 200 students this summer and about 800 students over the next four years.
“Addressing these challenges is key to closing opportunity gaps for underserved communities, and it is my hope that we can grow this program statewide to reduce gaps in student success throughout Minnesota,” said Steven Rosenstone, chancellor of Minnesota State, who thanked the Finks for their generosity. He added that the couple wanted to “reduce disparities in student success caused by financial and academic challenges.”
Richard Fink is the former leader of G & K Services, a Minnetonka-based uniform company.
Students who enter college unprepared often end up in developmental courses that don’t count toward a degree and drive up the cost of school. Students of color are more likely to need developmental classes, state data shows.
A 2016 report from the state Office of Higher Education found 26 percent of Minnesota high school graduates enrolled in at least one developmental course when they got to college. The majority of those students, 85 percent, took their developmental courses at two-year state colleges.
Minnesota students spent $11.8 million on developmental courses at state institutions in 2013, the “Getting Prepared” report found.
Minnesota higher education leaders hope improving college readiness will result in higher graduation rates. In 2016, about half of students enrolled at two-year state schools earned degrees or transferred to other institutions after three years. Completion rates also were lower for students of color.
The summer tutoring will come at no cost to students who qualify and they will also receive other financial aid during the school year.
The eight schools participating are: Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Anoka Technical College, Century College, Inver Hills Community College, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Normandale Community College, North Hennepin Community College and St. Paul College.