Rhode Island’s New Higher Education Institution, College Unbound, Launches First Class Alongside National, Local Leaders

PROVIDENCE, RI– Approved in May 2015 as the 13th post-secondary institution in Rhode Island, College Unbound, designed to support underrepresented returning adult learners, officially launched its first class of students on Monday, January 25, 2016.

With a unique degree completion model, College Unbound gives adults the opportunities and support needed to complete their bachelor’s degree. Adults who may only have a few old college credits but plenty of real-world job experience, for example, are put on a unique track to an undergraduate degree and course of study that recognizes and credits their individual experience, knowledge, and abilities.

“Students come to us – most of them employed – wanting to better their life. They need the tools to excel in their careers and grow as individuals. College Unbound helps them do just that,” said Dennis Littky, President, College Unbound. “Thousands of adults in Rhode Island have college credits, but no degree. We’re working with them, identifying their skill sets, and putting them on a path to a Bachelor’s degree that fits their lives and opens the door to greater opportunity.”

Dozens of individuals from the education community gathered for College Unbound’s launch, including globally recognized leader in higher education, Jamie Merisotis, author of America Needs Talent and President/CEO of Lumina Foundation. Merisotis discussed ideas from his book that rethink higher education and the importance of developing and deploying the next generation of leaders to power the economy.

“College Unbound gives adult students who are returning to college a way of earning their degree that supports their unique needs, and is flexible, affordable and tailored to their interests,” said Merisotis. “It gives them meaningful opportunities to gain skills and knowledge, cultivating homegrown talent.”

Nearly all students in the program are older than 25, some 77 percent work full time, and 80 percent complete their degree – statistics that combat national data that show 38 percent of students with additional work and family obligations leave school within their first year.

Jim Purcell, Commissioner of Postsecondary Education, spoke to the importance of degree completion programs for Rhode Islanders. “College Unbound brings a new outlet to adults in our state. It can empower and transform the lives of many individuals and their families, and strengthen our state’s workforce,” said Commissioner Purcell.College Unbound is in the process of pursuing accreditation through the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Once accredited, among many advantages, College Unbound students will be eligible to receive federal financial aid. Currently, donations have been made by individuals and private organizations, including Lumina Foundation and ECMC, to provide tuition scholarships/staffing to College Unbound students.

“There is no doubt that I will be well prepared to make an impact in the community while pursuing a degree at College Unbound and after graduation,” said Natalia Sanots, who is part of College Unbound’s first student cohort and is working toward a B.A. in Organizational Leadership and Change. “I am hoping to see a new me, a new person living with a purpose.”

ABOUT COLLEGE UNBOUND
College Unbound’s mission is to reinvent higher education for underrepresented returning adult learners, using a model that is individualized, interest-based, project-driven, workplace-enhanced, cohort-supported, flexible, supportive, and affordable. College Unbound integrates the students’ own purposes for learning with the needs of their workplaces and communities, improving the lives of the students and the lives of those they touch. As a degree completion college, College Unbound provides access, support through completion, and career placement, ensuring that students get in, stay in, and move forward. For more information, visit http://www.collegeunbound.org/.