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For release King’s College Included in Guidebook for Low-Income, First-Generation College Students July 30, 2010 - King’s College is one of 284 colleges and universities in the United States and the only northeastern Pennsylvania institution included in a national guidebook which highlights educators “committed to serving and supporting today’s first-generation, low-income and traditionally underserved college-bound students.” “The College Access & Opportunity Guide” is published by the Center for Student Opportunity, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to “promoting higher education opportunities for first-generation and other historically underserved college-bound students.” “King’s has always taken great pride in providing a quality liberal arts education to students from all ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Father Thomas O’Hara, C.S.C., president of King’s. “The College’s original mission was to educate children of coalminers, the vast majority of whom were first generation college students. The founding of the College coincided with the end of World War II, resulting in a large number of veterans attending on the GI Bill. King’s has a proven track record striving to provide the necessary assistance to students who want a King’s education but may not possess the resources of other students, especially during these trying economic times” added O’Hara. “Currently, 40 percent of King’s students are the first in their family to attend college. One in four King’s students receive Pell Grants, usually reserved for families showing the greatest need for tuition assistance. It’s been reported recently that almost nine of 10 low-income first-generation students leave college without a degree within six years of starting. King’s not only provides the all-important access, but also the support these students need to complete their degrees and enjoy the added benefits that a college degree will afford them and their families.” King’s programs specifically recognized by the guidebook include the McGowan Hispanic Outreach Program, which includes scholarship and mentorship opportunities for regional Latino junior high and high school students; the College Discovery Program which allows gifted high school students to take courses at King’s for college credit; and the College Entry Program, which is a pre-orientation summer program designed to prepare students for the challenges of college life while earning up to six King’s credits.King's College is a Catholic College sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross. |