Membership affirms commitment to increasing college access for under-represented students

Maine Maritime Academy (MMA) has joined the Coalition for College, a diverse group of more than 150 public and private colleges and universities across the U.S. working to improve college access for low-income, under-resourced and first-generation students. The academy meets the coalition’s rigorous eligibility standards in access, affordability, and student success, and demonstrates a commitment to supporting all students through the college preparation and application processes. MMA is the first state maritime academy in the nation to join the coalition.

“We’re really so excited to become a member of the Coalition for College as we continue our commitment to access, affordability and student success,” say Kimberly Reilly, Vice President of Enrollment Management and Marketing.

Coalition schools work together to support students as they learn about, prepare for and apply to college. Free digital tools help students as early as 9th grade explore colleges, learn about the admissions process, and work on their applications. An easy-to-use application fee waiver removes barriers for limited-income students applying to Coalition schools.

The Coalition also provides free access to guidance and advice through informative articles and videos, as well as virtual events, where students can connect with Coalition schools and learn how to make smart college choices.

“The power of the Coalition is our ability to work across member institutions to improve college access, and that work remains critically important today,” says Stacey Kostell, CEO of the Coalition. “We’re thrilled to count Maine Maritime Academy as partners in this work and look forward to collaborating on our shared goals to better serve limited-income and under-represented students and help more students achieve their higher education goals.”

Graduating students on time, and with low or no debt, is the basis for membership in the Coalition. All together, Coalition schools outperform the national averages for retention and graduation by 17 percent.

For more information about the Coalition for Coalition, including a complete list of members, visit http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/.