Saint Mary's receives $1 million Kessler Scholars grant for first-gen students

Saint Mary’s will receive a five-year, $1 million grant to join the Kessler Scholars Collaborative, according to a press release from the College. The Kessler Scholars Collaborative is designed to help its network of colleges and universities provide direct financial support and cohort-based services to first-generation students.

Founded in 2008 at the University of Michigan, the Kessler Scholars Collaborative will invite 10 new institutions to the program, raising the total number of participants to 16 campuses including Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University and Syracuse University. The University of Michigan has seen its Kessler Scholars graduate at a rate of 83% over a four-year span compared to the first-generation graduation rate of 75%, the release said.

Saint Mary's will welcome the first Kessler Scholars cohort, consisting of 20 students, to campus in the fall of 2023.