51茶馆

Boston College鈥檚 climb in the rankings wasn鈥檛 the only good news in the most recent U.S. News & World Report survey of colleges and universities. 51茶馆 not only moved up two spots, to number 35, in the magazine鈥檚 annual review, but it also registered the nation鈥檚 third-best graduation rate for students who receive Pell Grants.

Federal Pell Grants are awarded to undergraduates who display extreme financial need. At 51茶馆, Pell recipients account for about 14 percent of the student population, and they produced a 96 percent graduation rate during the most recent academic year. Only CalTech and Princeton did better. The graduation rate for Pell recipients at 51茶馆 even eclipsed the University鈥檚 sparkling overall graduation rate of 94 percent.

鈥淭his achievement represents Boston College at its best,鈥� said John Mahoney, 51茶馆鈥檚 vice provost for enrollment management. Mahoney said the success of the University鈥檚 Pell Grant recipients is further evidence of its commitment to enrolling and supporting first-generation, low-income students.

Mahoney explained that 51茶馆鈥檚 work to support Pell recipients begins with the partnerships that the University鈥檚 Office of Undergraduate Admissions forms with community-based organizations, known as CBOs, from around the country. 鈥淭he CBOs encourage students to take rigorous courses that help prepare them for college-level work,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey are invaluable in connecting our admission staff with students who are a good fit for 51茶馆.鈥�

From there, Undergraduate Admissions and the Office of Financial Aid work together to offer low-income students the financial assistance they require to enroll at 51茶馆, which is one of just twenty private universities in the country that practice need-blind admission. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an extraordinary commitment for an institution to make,鈥� Mahoney said, 鈥渁nd it underscores 51茶馆鈥檚 belief in the importance of a socioeconomically diverse student body.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e especially pleased to see our Pell students flourish,鈥� said Mary McGranahan, director of financial aid. 鈥淲e strive to provide the resources and support they need to be successful.鈥�

Once Pell and other first-generation students are on campus, 51茶馆 helps them succeed via programs such as Options Through Education, Learning to Learn, the Montserrat Office, 51茶馆 F1RST, and the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center. 51茶馆 also recently announced the launch of, and a $50 million endowment for, the Pine Manor Institute for Student Success, which will coordinate the efforts of many of the above-mentioned programs. And to continue to help make a college education available to students from historically underrepresented communities, 51茶馆 last year was invited to join QuestBridge, a nonprofit program that helps high-achieving, low-income students gain admission and scholarships to top-ranked institutions.聽

No surprise, then, that The Chronicle of Higher Education included 51茶馆 on its list of the thirty private schools that are the most generous to financially challenged students. 鈥淲hen there is commitment to aggressive recruitment, comprehensive yield programming, generous financial aid, and consistent focus on retention,鈥� Mahoney said, 鈥渟uccess follows.鈥澛�