FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NEXT, A CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT OF MADISON COLLEGE ABOUT A NEW PROGRAM ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK CALLED SCHOLARS OF PROMISE IN WHICH LOW-INCOME ELIGIBLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM THE TECHNICAL SCHOOL’S 12-COUNTY DISTRICT CAN ATTEND AND EARN A DEGREE TUITION-FREE. WE STARTED BY ASKING DR. JACK DANIELS WHAT THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT.

JACK DANIELS:

THIS PROGRAM, OUR SCHOLARS PROGRAM OF PROMISE, REALLY FOCUSES ON STUDENTS WHO DON’T HAVE THE ABILITY TO FINANCE THEIR EDUCATION. IT OPENS UP ACCESS FOR NUMBERS OF STUDENTS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND WE SERVE OVER 12 COUNTIES. THIS WILL GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCESS HIGHER EDUCATION. THEY CAN MOVE ON TO JOBS OR TO A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHO’S ELIGIBLE?

JACK DANIELS:

THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE STARTING IN SEPTEMBER OF 2017 HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES. SO CURRENTLY WE’LL BE WORKING WITH THE SENIOR CLASS IN OUR SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT. WE WILL HAVE SEVERAL ACTIVITIES DURING THIS UPCOMING YEAR SO THAT WE MAINTAIN ENGAGEMENT WITH THOSE STUDENTS. THERE WILL BE WORKSHOPS, SEMINARS, POSSIBLY DOING SOME BRIDGE WORK. HOPEFULLY SOME DUAL CREDIT WILL ALSO HAPPEN. SO AS THEY GET CLOSER TO SEPTEMBER OF 2017, THEN THEY WILL BE ENROLLED AND THEY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM. THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, THERE’S A GPA CRITERIA. WE SAY YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN A HIGH SCHOOL 2.25. THEIR LAST YEAR, THEIR SENIOR YEAR THEY MUST HAVE 80% GOOD ATTENDANCE. THEY WILL ALSO BE TAKING SOME OF THE OTHER TESTS, ASSESSMENT TESTS THAT WE WILL HAVE FOR THEM AS WELL.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND WHAT ABOUT INCOME ELIGIBILITY?

JACK DANIELS:

THE INCOME ELIGIBILITY IS REALLY DETERMINED BY THEIR FAFSA, WHICH IS THEIR FINANCIAL AID FORM. WE ALSO LOOK AT WHAT IS THE FAMILY CONTRIBUTION. IF THE FAMILY CONTRIBUTION IS BELOW $3,000, IN ADDITION TO LOOKING AT THEIR SCHOLARSHIPS THAT THEY MAY RECEIVE NOT JUST FROM PELL, BUT FROM THE COLLEGE OR ANY OTHER AREA, THEN WE LOOK AT WHAT THE GAP IS AND WE WILL START TO FUND THE GAP.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO IT BECOMES VIRTUALLY FREE TO GO TO MADISON COLLEGE FOR THESE STUDENTS THAT ARE SO ELIGIBLE.

JACK DANIELS:

I WOULD SAY IT’S TUITION-FREE, BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH IN TERMS OF BOOKS. BUT THEIR TUITION AND FEES WILL ACTUALLY BE PAID.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY STUDENTS THIS WILL REPRESENT WHO WILL BE COMING IN HERE IN SEPTEMBER?

JACK DANIELS:

IT’S VERY DIFFICULT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS. WE’RE LOOKING AT SOMEWHERE PROBABLY BETWEEN 300 AND 400 STUDENTS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED THAT FIRST YEAR. BUT THEY’LL HAVE DIFFERENT VARIANCES OF THEIR NEEDS. SOME WILL NEED A LOT. SOME MAY NEED NONE AT ALL. BUT THEY’LL STILL BE PART OF THE PROGRAM.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HOW IS THIS BEING PAID FOR?

JACK DANIELS:

PURELY BY PRIVATE FUNDING. WE’RE USING FOUNDATION FUNDING FROM MANY DIFFERENT FOUNDATIONS. INDIVIDUALS ARE ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO IT. WE HAVE A LEAD GIFT FROM THE CUNA MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY, THEIR FOUNDATION. SO IT’S PURELY BY PRIVATE FUNDING.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHY DID MADISON COLLEGE WANT TO GO IN THIS DIRECTION?

JACK DANIELS:

THE DIRECTION THAT WE’RE GOING INTO IS BASED IN OUR MISSION. OUR MISSION IS TO COMPLETELY SERVE THE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES WHO CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR PROGRAMS. WE ALSO ARE AN OPEN ACCESS INSTITUTION. HOW DO WE CREATE GREATER ACCESS FOR THOSE POPULATIONS THAT CAN’T COME TO US BECAUSE FINANCE IS A BARRIER? WE’RE PARTNERING WITH OUR OWN MADISON COLLEGE FOUNDATION. AND WE’VE ALWAYS SAID THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT EVERY POSSIBILITY TO MINIMIZE BARRIERS TO ACCESS TO OUR COLLEGE. ONE OF THOSE MAJOR BARRIERS IS ABOUT FINANCE. IF WE CAN ELIMINATE THAT BARRIER, WE CAN INCREASE THE ABILITY OF STUDENTS TO COME, INCREASE THEIR CAPACITY OF LEARNING AND ALSO MEET SOME OF THE DEMANDS THAT EMPLOYERS HAVE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT ABOUT THE BARRIERS THAT SOME STUDENTS HAVE TO STAY, EVEN IF THEY COME THEIR FIRST YEAR?

JACK DANIELS:

WE WILL HAVE MANY WRAP-AROUND SERVICES AROUND THESE STUDENTS. WE’LL BE ASSIGNING A MENTOR TO THESE STUDENTS. THEY WILL HAVE INDIVIDUAL PLANS THAT WE WILL CONSTANTLY BE FOLLOWING UP THROUGH. IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US AS WE THINK ABOUT RETENTION AND PERSISTENCE, THESE STUDENTS MAINTAIN THAT FULL-TIME STATUS. THAT’S ONE OF THE ITEMS THEY HAVE TO HAVE. HOPEFULLY WITHIN THAT TWO YEAR PERIOD, IF IT’S A 60-UNIT TYPE OF PROGRAM THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU’RE HOPEFUL THAT STUDENTS WON’T BE HAVING TO BOTH GO TO SCHOOL AND WORK, POTENTIALLY, FULL-TIME.

JACK DANIELS:

THAT’S CORRECT. AND THEY CAN SPEND THE TIME NECESSARY ON THEIR STUDIES HERE SO THEY CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF THEIR OWN LIVES AND THEIR OBJECTIVES.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND THIS IS THE KIND OF PROGRAM THAT OTHER TECHNICAL COLLEGES ACROSS THE STATE ARE DOING AS WELL; IS THAT RIGHT?

JACK DANIELS:

YES. MILWAUKEE HAS A PROGRAM THAT I BELIEVE WILL BE ROLLED OUT THIS SEPTEMBER. GATEWAY TECHNICAL COLLEGE ALSO HAS ONE THAT WILL ALSO BE ROLLED OUT AT THE SAME TIME WE ROLL IN THE FALL OF 2017. THIS IS PART OF REALLY A NATIONAL MOVEMENT. MANY COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ALSO HAVE PROMISE PROGRAMS. THEY’RE FUNDED IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS. AND OURS, DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE PRESENT AMERICAN PROMISE WAS, IS BASICALLY THROUGH OUR PRIVATE FUNDING.