Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Partnership

About the Foundation
Michigan college links
Press Releases

About the Foundation

“Our country has a treasure of untapped talent at our community colleges, including many outstanding students from low- to moderate-income backgrounds. This initiative will help selective colleges and universities achieve their goals of access and excellence and enable these students to graduate from the highest-ranking institutions. We will all benefit if every qualified student with financial need has such opportunities.”

Dr. Matthew J. Quinn, Executive Director
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Visit the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation website for more information » »

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in 2000 through the will of Jack Kent Cooke. In 2006, the Foundation announced that U-M was one of eight top colleges and universities chosen for its program to increase opportunities for high-achieving low to moderate income community college students to earn bachelor’s degrees from selective four-year institutions—the largest initiative of its kind ever.

The University of Michigan plans include:

  • Planned visits to all 31 Michigan community college and tribal campuses with a team of U-M personnel (admissions, financial aid, representatives from central units and the largest schools and colleges).
  • Building and sustaining transfer pathways to U-M by increasing communication and information between community college counselors and U-M admissions staff.
  • Adding program support to help students navigate the transfer process from academic, social, financial aid perspectives.
  • Involving families in the transfer process by expanding the existing campus days for admitted first-year students to include admitted transfer students.
  • Enhanced dual enrollment opportunities, such as an online course in engineering that will enable community college students to earn U-M credit, and increased articulation agreements in nursing.

Some specific activities planned include:

  • A two-day orientation for incoming transfer students on the U-M campus to provide transfer-specific first-year information and support.
  • A Community College Research Fellows program to give community college students considering transfer an opportunity to do research with U-M faculty.

The University of Michigan, in partnership with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, is reaching out to students at Michigan community and tribal colleges to increase the number of transfer students.

Visit your college’s site:

Alpena Community College
Alpena

Bay de Noc Community College
Escanaba

Bay Mills Community College
(Tribal)
Brimley

Delta Community College
University Center

Glen Oaks Community College
Centerville

Gogebic Community College
Ironwood

Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids

Henry Ford Community College
Dearborn

Jackson Community College
Jackson

Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Kalamazoo

Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
(Tribal)
Baraga

Kellogg Community College
Battle Creek

Kirtland Community College
Roscommon

Lake Michigan College
Benton Harbor

Lansing Community College
Lansing

Macomb Community College
Warren

Mid Michigan Community College
Harrison

Monroe County Community College
Monroe

Montcalm Community College
Sidney

Mott Community College
Flint

Muskegon Community Colllege
Muskegon

North Central Community College
Petoskey

Northwestern Michigan College
Traverse City

Oakland Community College
Bloomfield Hills

Saginaw Chippewa Community College
(Tribal)
Mt. Pleasant

St. Clair County Community College
Port Huron

Schoolcraft College
Livonia

Southwestern Michigan College
Dowagiac

Washtenaw Community College
Ann Arbor

Wayne County Community College
Detroit

West Shore Community College
Scottville

Press Releases

March 6, 2006—ANN ARBOR MI—U-M receives $1 million foundation grant to increase community college transfers. Read the full story » »

March 6, 2006—LANSDOWNE VA— National Foundation Partners with Eight Top Universities to Focus $27 million on Transforming College Access for Low-income Community College Students. Read the full story » »

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