What is Cycles for Success?
Cycles of Success is a scholarship program for underrepresented students who are graduates of Austin High School and Pacelli High School to attend Riverland Community College. The Hormel Foundation of Austin, MN has provided the funding for the program. Cycles of Success will provide eligible students with both financial and academic support to earn a certificate, diploma or degree at Riverland.
Cycles of Success will inspire students at Austin and Pacelli High Schools to graduate and then pursue their college education locally and thus provide employers with a skilled workforce in high-wage, high-demand occupations. An overarching assumption of this proposal is that educating young people is a prudent investment in the workforce, economic, and community development of the Austin area.
Who is eligible for Cycles for Success?
"Traditionally underrepresented students" refers to students who typically do not go to college and have one or more of the following characteristics:
- First generation, meaning neither one of the student's parents received a Bachelor's degree (4-year degree)
- Low-income family based on federal guidelines
- Middle fifty-percent of their graduating class
- Member of an ethnic or racial minority (African Americans/ Black, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial)
In specific instances, other groups of students may be considered underrepresented. For example, in a traditionally female discipline like nursing, males may be considered “underrepresented.”
How will Cycles for Success help traditionally underrepresented students?
Cycles of Success will
- Remove financial barriers to postsecondary enrollment
- Provide enhanced support services to improve academic success at high school and college levels
- Extend outreach to Austin and Pacelli High School students to raise expectations and preparation
- Use project results to inform long-term public policy decisions regarding college accessibility, student success, and workforce development
When will Cycles for Success start?
The first scholarship recipients will begin taking courses at Riverland Community College on August 23, 2010. A new group of scholarship recipients will begin taking courses each fall semester through 2014.
How do interested students apply for Cycles for Success?
Students will complete an application form and an essay of why they want to participate in the program.
How do I get more information about Cycles for Success?
Contact Danielle Heiny at 507-433-0517 or dani.heiny@riverland.edu
