In an era where the cost of higher education continues to rise, community colleges remain a critical gateway to opportunity for millions of students. These institutions provide affordable, accessible, and high-quality education, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to pursue their academic and career goals. However, community colleges often operate on limited budgets, making private philanthropic gifts essential in driving innovation and expanding access.

Community colleges serve as the bedrock of higher education for many students who might otherwise be unable to pursue postsecondary education. With their open-access mission, community colleges are uniquely positioned to serve students from all walks of life, including those from underserved and underrepresented communities. At institutions like the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), which enrolls nearly 18,000 students in degree and certificate programs annually, the mission is clear: to provide accessible, high-quality education that leads to strong learning outcomes and successful career pathways.

However, the challenges facing community college students can be significant. Many students arrive underprepared for the rigors of college-level coursework, requiring additional support to succeed. Moreover, financial barriers can impede student progress, leading to lower retention and graduation rates. To address these challenges, innovative programs and substantial financial support are necessary to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

The CCRI Advantage program, inspired by the City University of New York's (CUNY) successful "CUNY Start" initiative, is a bold response to the challenges facing community college students. This seven-week immersive college success program provides personalized academic coaching, targeted tutoring, and comprehensive support services to help students transition seamlessly into credit-bearing coursework. By focusing on the critical first weeks of college, CCRI Advantage aims to increase student retention, boost academic achievement, and shorten the time to graduation.

This program is more than just a stepping stone; it's a launchpad for our students. By providing tailored support from day one, CCRI Advantage exemplifies our commitment to innovative approaches that meet our students where they are.

Understanding the power of community colleges and CCRI Advantage, an anonymous donor generously gifted CCRI $2 million to fund a three-year pilot program, commencing this fall. This groundbreaking gift — the single largest private gift in the college’s 60-year history — exemplifies how targeted philanthropy has the power to transform lives today, tomorrow and long into the future.

This gift will cover the cost of tuition, laptops, course materials, transportation, and other incidental expenses for participating students. By eliminating financial barriers, the program ensures that students can fully engage in their studies and prepare for college-level courses without incurring additional costs or accumulating non-transferable credits.

This philanthropic investment is more than just a financial contribution; it is a powerful endorsement of the critical role that community colleges play in the higher education landscape. For too long, gifts of this magnitude were limited to four-year institutions, but this donor saw the potential for an outsized impact in expanding equity and access to higher education.

The success of CCRI Advantage has the potential to influence community college education across the country. As the largest single community college in New England, CCRI is at the forefront of redefining what community colleges can achieve, particularly for students from diverse and underserved backgrounds. The program's focus on personalized support and its comprehensive approach to student success is a model that other institutions can emulate.

As CCRI celebrates its 60th anniversary, the launch of CCRI Advantage and the historic $2 million gift that supports it are powerful reminders of the transformative potential of community colleges. These institutions are not just stepping stones; they are launchpads for students seeking to build better futures for themselves and their families. By investing in programs like CCRI Advantage, philanthropists can play a vital role in ensuring that community colleges continue to fulfill their mission of providing accessible, high-quality education to all.

Rosemary Costigan is Interim President of the Community College of Rhode Island.