About

WELCOME Program

Mission and Objective

In 2024, The City College of New York received a four-year, $7.3 million WELCOME grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support new student onboarding initiatives at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. Led by CCNY’s Office for Experiential Learning and a dedicated team of academic leaders at the Colin Powell School, the Welcoming Experiences and Learning Communities to Maximize Early Success (WELCOME) program seeks to enhance educational outcomes and college experiences for first-year students.

By fostering supportive learning communities and enhancing student support services, WELCOME aims to empower students during their first semester of college to ultimately increase retention and graduation outcomes for historically marginalized, first-generation, and low-income students.

Program Eligibility

Students must be in their first or second semester of college (regardless of credits) and are not transfer students
Students must demonstrate an interest in Psychology, Economics, or International & Global Studies
Students are not eligible if they have AP or transfer credits in English Composition, Psychology, Microeconomics, International & Global Studies
Students are not eligible if they are participating in the Honors or Seek programs at CCNY
Students are not eligible if they have enrolled in WELCOME during a previous semester
All participating students receive a $90 OMNY card regardless of selection!

Key Components

$90 OMNY Card

All students receive a $90 OMNY card when they sign up for WELCOME, regardless of selection!

Foundational Courses

Selected students enroll in three foundational courses alongside a cohort of 25 peers:
- PSY 10200: Intro to Psychology
- ECO 10250: Intro to Microeconomics
- INTL 10100: Intro to International and Global Studies
- FIQWS 10115: Freshman Composition
FIQWS 10015/SCC 10100: Bridges to Success (first-year onboarding course required for all WELCOME students)

Proactive Academic Advising

WELCOME students are paired with an Academic Advisor who supports them with with course registration, degree-mapping, and financial aid.

Student Support

WELCOME students also benefit from peer mentoring, financial support, wellness coaching, and additional student support services.