NEW ORLEANS – Leadership teams from nine Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) member-schools will gather today to hear from national experts and to chart plans for implementation of strategies that increase student success and graduation. The event, which will also include teams from an additional 11 minority-serving institutions, will focus on CCA’s Momentum Pathways Initiative, an effort to ensure students are propelled toward success throughout their first year and that appropriate supports are leveraged to increase the likelihood of timely graduation, ultimately saving students and their families precious time and money.

The event also marks the official launch of TMCF and CCA’s joint 15 to Finish campaign, a move to encourage many more HBCU students to take 15 credits each semester or 30 credits each year. 15 to Finish campaigns have been proven to increase the percentage of students who are on track for on-time completion, and research on the power of increased credit accumulation shows that students perform better academically and are more likely to persist year to year when they complete 30 credits.

“The vast majority of students do not take the credits needed each semester to graduate on time, adding unnecessary time and costs to their academic journey,” said CCA Vice President Dhanfu Elston. “Taking 15 credits each semester not only puts students on track to earn their degrees, it leads to better grades, less student loan debt and the opportunity to start earning money faster.”

Following the event, team members will participate in Complete College America’s 2017 Annual Convening: Access to Their American Dreams, a gathering of more than 700 higher education leaders focused on boosting college completion rates and closing achievement gaps. Speakers at the main event include the best and brightest completion experts from around the country.

“More than any other time in our history, obtaining a college degree may be the single most important factor in gaining access to their American Dreams, and for far too many of our students, those Dreams seems further and further from reach,” said Complete College America President Tom Sugar. “Our partnership with TMCF seeks to dismantle barriers to student success and adding greater urgency as we work to close persistent achievement gaps in this country.”

Participating TMCF member-schools include Delaware State University, Grambling State University, Harris-Stowe State University, Jackson State University, Langston University, Mississippi Valley State University, Norfolk State University, Texas Southern University, and West Virginia State University.

“TMCF remains committed to working collaboratively and strategically with CCA to implement proven strategies to increase graduation rates at our nation’s HBCUs,” said TMCF President & CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. “There is no doubt the 15 to Finish campaign will be the catalyst to help more HBCU students get “Access to their American Dreams” by completing college and obtaining a good paying job.”