Enrollment at Ohio's community colleges is at an all time high, but more than a third of new students aren't prepared for college level coursework. The Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation announced today that it's giving $4 million to remedial education programs at five community colleges in Ohio.

Cuyahoga Community College Vice President Jackie Joseph-Silverstein says the money will fund programs that help students prepare for college.

"Study skills, time management, studying for exams in conjunction with their particular math and English core," Joseph-Silverstein explained.

Right now, nearly two-thirds of students who take remedial classes never graduate from college. Tri-C's $743,000 share of the Gates Foundation grant will expand tutoring services over the next three year in an effort to improve graduation rates.

Achieving the Dream Goals for Cuyahoga Community College

Tri-C has identified student retention, satisfaction, and success as key priorities, and outcomes assessment as critical to its planning process. Its goals include

• Increasing the number of students who graduate with associate degrees;
• Improving the college’s retention rate;
• Raising persistence rates;
• Improving the college’s performance on the student satisfaction and student engagement surveys.

Other Ohio Colleges

Achieving the Dream is affiliated with four other Ohio colleges, including:

• Jefferson Community College, Stueben
• North Central State College, Mansfield
• Sinclair Community College, Dayton
• Zane State College, Zanesville