Bridges to Success
A Vision for the Future
Through participation in “Achieving the Dream”, Valencia studied at at-risk students, tracking
student progress and researching the practices that closed achievement gaps among student
cohorts. During this project, the Bridges to Success program was repeatedly identified as one of
the most successful strategies for closing achievement gaps among students of color.
The purpose of Bridges to Success is to close achievement gaps among low income, first
generation and minority students by providing mentoring, academic and financial support, and
leadership development beginning the summer after high school graduation. Its biggest challenge
is the intensiveness of the program means that we currently serve a relatively small number of
students due to current staff and scholarship resources, compared to the large number of students
who need this kind of comprehensive support services program.
The Bridges to Success program admitted 240 students in the summer of 2009 and had a total
population of 637 for the 2008-09 academic year. The program promises a “full tuition and book”
scholarship for every participating student, an entitlement cost of $1,260,894 for 2008-09 with a
guaranteed increase for tuition increases. In addition, the current program admits students
without regard to income level or academic ability, giving priority to African American and Latina
males, students who attended Jones, Evans or Oakridge high schools, community churches and
organizations that have a relationship with the Bridges to Success program, students who
participated in CROP or Upward Bound, or students who took Dual Enrollment courses while in
high school.
For 2008-09, 54% of Bridges students were either college-ready or needed only one
developmental course and 31% had no financial need. To increase the impact of the Bridges
program, it should be expanded significantly, but expansion should focus on those students who
have multiple risk factors of low income, significant need for developmental academic coursework
(2 or 3 preparatory categories) and are first generation in college.
Expansion Proposal
Grow the Bridges to Success program over a three year period by admitting students who have
financial need and a need for at least 2 developmental courses. New students would be admitted
as follows:
Summer 2010: Admit 300 new students. Total cost of 60 new scholarships:
Summer 2011: Admit 350 new students. Total cost of 50 new scholarships:
Summer 2012: Admit 400 new students. Total cost of 50 new scholarships:
Total scholarships needed:
* Assumes no tuition increases
$360,000
$300,000
$300,000
$960,000*
A Bridges to Success Advisory Committee should be established to revise admission criteria,
develop a new rubric for selection that will ensure that students chosen will have financial need
and be primarily those students who need significant developmental coursework. This Committee
will also review applications for the program and make selections for admission, wait-listing and
denial. This committee should include a balance of representation from faculty, financial aid and
Bridges program staff.
Scholarship Funding
One of the key risk factors in college success for low income students is lack of adequate financial
support. Funding currently comes from the Financial Aid Fee which is charged as part of each
student’s tuition and each student is promised a full merit scholarship without regard to financial
need. State statute limits the percentage of Financial Aid Fee money that can be awarded without
regard to financial need to 25%. Financial Aid Fee funding is available to meet partial goals of
expansion of the Bridges program, but only in the category that requires proven financial need,
therefore the program should be re-directed to support students who are low income and
financially needy.
Homeless Students and Foster Youth support
For Spring term, 2009 41 students received the Road to Independence Foster Youth support
program and 13 received Homeless Tuition Waivers at Valencia. Family Services of Metro Orlando
is unable to provide accurate data regarding the number of homeless or foster youth in Central
Florida and cannot track their activities beyond age 18. Homeless and foster youth who are
graduating from high school should be given a high priority in the selection process for the Bridges
to Success program in order to provide the additional support needed for success.
First Generation in College
According to a 2009 report released by the National Center for Education Statistics 1, low income
students whose parents did not attend college took longer to complete a bachelor degree and
enrolled in graduate school at lower rates than their counterparts. In this study of multiple risk
factors of low income (Pell Grant recipients) students, parent education was the only factor
consistently related to both time to degree completion and graduate school enrollment.
First generation in college students should be given priority points in the Bridges to Success
selection process.
1
The National Center for Education Statistics (2009, July), A Profile of Successful Pell Grant
Recipients: Time to Bachelor’s Degree and Early Graduate School Enrollment
Prospective Student Recruitment
Students from low income families are far less likely to enroll in college than their middle or upper
income counterparts. By age 24, 73% of children from families in the upper quartile of US income
will earn a BA degree. Only 12% of children from the lowest quartile of income will do the same.2
Strategies to assist prospective students and their parents to believe a college education is
possible are deployed by the College Transitions Team using the Life Map developmental advising
model.
Community outreach and recruitment of prospective students who are at risk is led by the
Transitions and Enrollment Services staff who have an extensive community network and a
presence in the public and private K-12 school system. Transitions Coordinators should promote
the Bridges to Success program and encourage prospective low income and minority students to
enroll in Summer B following high school in order to take advantage of the support system the
program offers.
Resources needed to accomplish an expansion
The Bridges to Success program currently has a Manager, a Staff Assistant II, 2 part time Academic
Advisors, and a part time Staff Assistant I. Approximately 650 new and continuing students on
West, East and Osceola campuses are served each year. 1 part time Academic Advisor to support
the creation of Supplemental Learning and LINC courses for Bridges students is being added during
2009-10 from the MDC/Gates grant fund.
Expanding the program as described above requires adding staff to support student advising and
develop technology support systems, recordkeeping systems, and assessments to accurately track
and assess student performance and effectiveness of the individual program supports.
Expansion should be accomplished as follows:
2009-10 – add a full time Director to collaborate with the Manager and lead event planning,
workshop development, and to develop systems and processes for admission, student tracking
and assessing effectiveness. Annual cost for salary and benefits: $62,500
2010-11 – Add a part time Advisor for the Osceola Campus. Annual cost for salary and benefits:
$27,500. Convert the East Campus part time Advisor to a full time position: Annual additional cost
for salary and benefits: $22,750 Total cost for 2010-11: $50,250.
2012-13 - Convert the part time Academic Advisor hired in 2009 as part of the Developmental
Education Initiative grant to college dollars and make the position full time.
2
Mortenson, Thomas (2007) Bachelor’s Degree Attainment by Age 24 by Family Income Quartile, 1970-2005.
Oskaloosa, IA: Postsecondary Education Opportunity