STUDENT SUCCESS INITATIVES

Removing Financial Barriers to Attracting, Retaining,
and Successfully Graduating Students

For most people, college is a valuable investment of time, energy and money, since graduates typically earn $1 million more over their lifetimes than non-college graduates. Even so, half of all college students drop out. Once they drop out, they’re not likely to come back. National statistics show that students who drop out involuntarily—even for a single semester—have only a 30% chance of returning to earn their degrees.

Reasons for dropping out vary, but the overwhelming cause is unmet financial need. Low-income and first-generation students, many of whom juggle work and family commitments while attending school, feel the pinch the most.

In response, Cleveland State University has developed a range of financial assistance vehicles and philanthropic opportunities aimed at attracting new students, maintaining student momentum, and keeping students enrolled until they graduate.

Student Support. Little life emergencies can be enough to derail years of study and commitment. When a pandemic hits and the economy shuts down, those “little” emergencies loom even larger. Lift Up Vikes! is the emergency boost some students need to get through a rough patch: it helps pay for groceries, or child care, or car repairs, or a month’s rent so the student can continue focusing on college.

Learn more about Lift Up Vikes!

Student Graduation. Students often find that, with just one or two semesters left before graduation, they’ve maxed out their loans and scholarships. They’re so close to the finish line, yet they need a little extra help closing the gap financially. That’s when our Last-Mile scholarships can come to the rescue.

Learn more about Last-Mile Scholarships

Cleveland State University is committed to making college affordable and successful for all its students. Our Continuum of Student Success Support is just one of the ways we make that success possible.

If you are a student looking for support from any of these initiatives, please visit the Lift Up Vikes! or the Last-Mile Scholarship information pages.