College Unbound
Project Title
For project support for the expansion of public service pathways and degree completion opportunities for adult learners
Date
Dec. 11, 2025
Duration
18 months
Description
College Unbound (CU) was founded in 2009, with a mission to support adult learners to complete their bachelor’s degrees while managing work and family responsibilities. CU’s innovative approach recognizes and awards college credit for professional and workplace experiences, enabling students to advance their career pathways in the public service sector. Currently, CU operates in the states of Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Washington and in Camden, NJ, Chicago, IL, and Wilmington, DE. They have established a strong foundation for ongoing services, evidenced by 65 percent of graduates receiving promotions upon degree completion, 69 percent reporting increased job security, and an average wage increase of $13,000 reported by graduates one year after completing their degree. The proposed project focuses on expanding their current professional pathways within public service fields such as education, public health, housing, nonviolence/reentry, and libraries. Over the next 18 months, CU will enroll 600 students, with a target for 80 percent retention rate after the first year and a graduation rate of 70 percent.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Dec. 14, 2023
Duration
24 months
Description
Founded in 2009 and accredited in 2020, College Unbound (CU) is an innovative institution with a mission to reinvent the higher education experience for underserved adult learners using a student-driven model of rigorous and engaged scholarship. Students meet in person and online in student cohorts that stay together and motivate each other through degree completion. They pursue one major, Organizational Leadership and Change, and build their learning experiences around a project of their own design focusing on their professional or community interests. Currently, CU serves students in Greater Providence, Newport, Philadelphia, and Chicago. Corporation support will allow CU to expand its operational capacity to meet the demand for growth in Rhode Island and nationally.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Dec. 08, 2022
Duration
12 months
Description
Founded in 2009 and accredited in 2020, College Unbound (CU) is an innovative institution with a mission to reinvent the higher education experience for underserved adult learners using a student-driven model of rigorous and engaged scholarship. Students meet in person and online in student cohorts that stay together and motivate each other through degree completion. They pursue one major, OrganizationalLeadership and Change, building their learning experiences around a project of their own design that focuses on their professional or community interests. Currently, CU serves more than 250 students in Greater Providence, Newport, Philadelphia, and Chicago, with an average age of thirty-six. These students identify as African American (31 percent), Latinx (35 percent), White (16percent), two or more races (4 percent), or choose not to identify (7 percent).65 percent of students receive federal Pell Grants, though substantially more demonstrate financial need. Most CU students are parents. Corporation support will allow CU to expand its operational capacity to meet the demand for growth in Rhode Island and nationally.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Dec. 02, 2021
Duration
12 months
Description
Founded in 2009 and accredited in 2020 College Unbound (CU) is an innovative institution with a mission to reinvent the higher education experience for underserved adult learners, using a student-driven model of rigorous and engaged scholarship. Students meet in person and online in student cohorts that stay together and motivate each other through degree completion. They pursue one major, Organizational Leadership and Change, building their learning experiences around a project of their own design that focuses on their professional or community interests. Currently CU serves nearly 200 students in greater Providence and Newport aged seventeen through sixty-one, with an average age of thirty-four. These students identify as African American (27 percent), Latinx (40 percent), White (16 percent), two or more races (4 percent), or choose not to identify (13 percent). 60 percent of students receive federal Pell Grants, though substantially more demonstrate financial need. 77 percent of the class of 2020 were parents. Corporation support will allow CU to expand its operational capacity to meet the demand for growth in Rhode Island and nationally.