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WELCOME Program
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 WELCOME program aims to transform the college experience for first-year students.
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.
All students receive a $90 MetroCard when they sign up for WELCOME, regardless of selection.
Selected students enroll in three foundational courses alongside a cohort of 25 peers:
- Bridges to Success (a first-year experience course)
- A First-Year Writing Seminar
- Intro to Economics OR Psychology
WELCOME students are paired with an Academic Advisor who supports them with with course registration, degree-mapping, and financial aid.
WELCOME students also benefit from peer mentoring, financial support, wellness coaching, and additional student support services.
The WELCOME program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and has been approved by The Office of Research at CCNY (IRB protocol number, 2024-0208-CCNY). For additional information on the research component, please contact welcome@ccny.cuny.edu
