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Nonprofit Marks Quarter Century With Tech-Enhanced Student Support
As College Possible approaches its 25th anniversary in 2025, the national nonprofit is leveraging artificial intelligence to expand its proven model for helping low-income students achieve college success. Founded in 2000, the organization has helped more than 100,000 students navigate the complex journey from college application through degree completion, establishing itself as one of the nation’s most effective college coaching programs. This milestone comes as the organization integrates advanced AI coaching solutions to scale its impact while maintaining the personalized support that has defined its success.
The organization’s growth trajectory mirrors broader technological transformations across sectors, including recent developments in digital payment platforms that facilitate educational funding and scholarship distribution. College Possible’s expansion also reflects increasing recognition of education’s role in economic development, similar to how strategic investments in critical infrastructure can drive regional growth and opportunity.
Proven Model Meets Technological Innovation
College Possible employs a distinctive support model that connects Pell Grant-eligible high school and college students with dedicated coaches who guide them through a comprehensive curriculum. The program begins serving students during their junior and senior years of high school, typically working with those in the “academic middle” with grade point averages between 2.0 and 3.5. Students attend after-school sessions twice weekly in peer groups, where coaches implement interactive lessons covering college selection, academic preparation, financial planning, application submission, and enrollment navigation.
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The organization deploys approximately 100 AmeriCorps service members and 55 full-time employees as coaches, each typically serving between 20 and 60 students at participating schools. Students who enroll in college continue receiving support from their coaches through degree completion—amounting to six years of continuous guidance. This sustained approach has demonstrated remarkable results, with program participants showing significantly higher college application rates and 15 percentage points higher initial enrollment at four-year institutions compared to nonparticipants.
National Expansion and Demonstrated Impact
From its single-office origins in St. Paul, Minnesota, College Possible has grown to seven regional sites across Minnesota, Chicago, Omaha, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. The organization now annually serves approximately 25,000 high school and college students from underserved backgrounds through a network of 180 partner colleges and high schools. This expansion reflects strategic growth principles similar to those seen in financial sector evolution, where scalable models drive broader accessibility.
The program’s funding comes from AmeriCorps, private foundations, and individual donors, highlighted by a landmark $20 million unrestricted donation from the Ballmer Group in 2017. More recently, CRM software firm Salesforce contributed $1 million in 2024 specifically to support the integration of AI technologies into student-coach interactions.
Introducing Coach Possible: AI-Enhanced Support
The newly launched Coach Possible represents a significant technological advancement for the organization. This AI-powered solution is designed to make student-coach interactions more seamless while reducing administrative burdens, allowing coaches to focus more directly on student engagement. The system is expected to increase each coach’s capacity from 60 to as many as 250 students while preserving the personalized relationships crucial to the program’s effectiveness.
“Today’s students are balancing studies, family, and sometimes work, and they need answers in real time,” explained Scott Del Rossi, vice president of college and career success at College Possible. “Coach Possible doesn’t replace coaches; it equips them to be more effective and more available. That’s the kind of innovation it will take to move the needle on persistence and degree completion.”
Catalyze Program and Alumni Success
Beyond its core program, College Possible operates Catalyze, a separate coaching initiative on several college campuses designed specifically for first-generation and Pell-eligible students. This program has demonstrated a 16% higher retention rate among first-year students addressing common challenges to college persistence.
The organization’s impact extends far beyond graduation. Nationwide, College Possible students are three times more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years than their peers from similar backgrounds. A 2024 survey of nearly 1,300 alumni confirmed they are achieving career success, financial security, and advanced degrees at remarkable rates.
“These findings show that with the right support, students from trying family circumstances succeed in college and continue to thrive well beyond graduation,” said CEO Siva Kumari, who joined the organization in 2023. “Our alumni aren’t just earning degrees; they are building careers, earning competitive salaries, and pursuing advanced degrees. These long-lasting outcomes are the result of consistent, student-centered support.”
Future Vision and Scalable Impact
Kumari regards the program’s 25th anniversary as a “remarkable milestone,” noting that “for a nonprofit to achieve this kind of proven, replicable track record over that period of time is an exceptional achievement.” Looking forward, the organization aims to deepen its impact at current sites while leveraging AI to reach more students without compromising quality.
“Too many students leave college not because they lack potential, but because the support they need isn’t always available when it matters most,” Kumari added. “Coach Possible is designed to change that. By harnessing AI to extend the reach of our coaches, we’re creating a model of student support that is both scalable and deeply personal—ensuring learners have the guidance they need to persist, graduate, and have meaningful careers.”
As College Possible enters its next quarter century, its combination of proven methodology and technological innovation positions the organization to substantially expand educational equity and college completion rates for students who need support most.
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