Impact

College Now’s impact is apparent across the region as well as in the individual lives of each and every one of our students. See how College Now makes a difference transforming lives and creating economic growth in Greater Cleveland.

Transforming Lives

College Now helps students reach their full potential through college education.  Many are from low-income households and are first-generation college students. Without College Now, many never would attend college and graduate career-ready.

  • We assist over 20,000 students in a school year.
  • $2.3 million – amount of scholarships we award in a school year.
  • For a graduating senior, a $500 investment in advising services & financial aid counseling results in $60,000 per student in financial aid over 4 years of college.
  • This year on college campuses, over 10,000 students who received College Now services have benefitted from more than $150 million in financial aid.
  • Our students have a 91% freshman year to sophomore year retention rate, compared to 58% nationally for low-income students
  • Our students are nearly twice likely to graduate from college than other low-income college students.

Creating Economic Growth

Our commitment to create a college-going culture is an investment in the economic growth and vitality of Greater Cleveland. We are developing an educated talent pool of future professionals, whose contributions will attract new employers and grow businesses, making our region more competitive in the global economy.

  • By 2018, 57% of Ohio’s jobs will require postsecondary education.  We will not be prepared to meet the need for an educated workforce of that size unless we increase college attainment.
  • An individual’s lifetime earnings with a bachelor’s degree are nearly $1 million more than lifetime earnings with a high school diploma.
  • An increase of 1% in Northeast Ohio college graduates would result in a $2.8 billion economic boost to the region (CEO’s for Cities).


Students and Alumni

College Now helps students reach their full potential through college education.  Many are from low-income households and are first-generation college students. We assist over 20,000 students in a school year.  Without College Now, of these students never would attend college and graduate career-ready.  Our students are nearly twice as likely to graduate from college than other low-income college students.

After college, our alumni go on to have rewarding careers and strengthen our community.  Their contributions will attract new employers and grow businesses, making our region more competitive in the global economy.  College Now students and alumni have become educators, CEOs, social workers, engineers, councilmen, playwrights and entrepreneurs.  They make Greater Cleveland a better place to live, work and play.  As a result, we are pleased to introduce you to a few of the individuals we have had the pleasure to serve.  Click here to read more about our students and alumni.

If you are a College Now alumnus, and have not already done so, please consider completing the following survey by clicking here.  We would love to hear from you.  Thank you!