C
laremont, Calif. (September 19, 2014)—As part of its Pitzer Pathways Initiative, Pitzer College is partnering with the nonprofit Say Yes to Education to provide greater access to higher education for deserving students.
By joining the Say Yes Higher Education Compact, Pitzer and other private colleges and universities agree to ensure that most of the low-income students served by the nonprofit can attend college tuition-free, depending on each institution’s admission and financial aid policies. To be eligible, students must also satisfy residency and other requirements in their Say Yes community.
“Pitzer is excited to join Say Yes to Education in their effort to increase high school and graduation rates in America,” said Angel Perez, VP and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid. “Through this partnership we hope to have a significant impact on the lives of young people in this country. It’s strategic partnerships like these that uplift a generation and change the world.”
In January 2014, Pitzer President Laura Skandera Trombley and other college and university leaders convened at a White House summit that was dedicated to increasing access to higher education. Pitzer committed to partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) that serve first-generation, disadvantaged and nontraditional age students. Beginning in the spring of 2014, all Pitzer admission counselors began visiting CBOs in their recruitment territories, providing college admission workshops, conducting interviews and offering essay-writing tutorials. The Pitzer Pathways Initiative enhances CBOs’ efforts to help low-income students attend some of America’s best institutions of higher learning.
Say Yes to Education, Inc. is a national nonprofit committed to increasing high school and college graduation rates for inner-city youth. The organization provides comprehensive support, including the promise of a tuition scholarship. In addition to Pitzer, other institutions that have joined the Say Yes Higher Education Compact include Harvard University, Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
