Some Baltimore City Community College students will be paid to meet with career counselors under a new grant to keep students enrolled and help them complete their study programs.

The grant program, called Expanding Success, awards $125,000 each to BCCC, Prince George’s Community College and Wor-Wic Community College, which serves Worcester and Wicomico counties. Up to 250 eligible students will be paid $50 monthly to meet with counselors at least once a month for one-on-one support.....

.....MDRC, a nonprofit research institute in New York that helped design the pilot program, has similar initiatives in New York and Ohio, Dow said. The goal of connecting students with career coaches is to close gaps in graduation rates between student populations and increase the number of students who finish their degrees.

The three community colleges were selected based on racial diversity, the number of part-time and full-time students, and the percentage of students who did not complete their programs. The colleges also represent both urban and rural communities with small and large populations.

The Maryland higher education commission and MDRC will collect data on the advising sessions over the year to determine their success and sustainability.....

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