Metro State University turns to mentors to improve graduation rates

Metropolitan State University is enlisting mentors to boost retention and graduation rates for students at risk of dropping out.

Why it matters: Low-income students who transfer to four-year institutions graduate at lower rates than their higher-income peers. Recent data shows just 10% earned a degree within six years.

• Nearly nine in 10 Metro State students are transfers. And about half of the university's 10,000 students identify as first-generation college-goers who qualify for Pell Grants.

What's new: The public university announced today that it is partnering with nonprofit College Possible to enroll about 1,400 incoming transfer students into coaching and mentoring programs.

How it works: St. Paul-based College Possible will train recent graduates to provide "targeted and proactive, one-on-one support" aimed at helping transfers learn the ropes and navigate the transition.

• Other schools participating in College Possible's Catalyst program have seen retention rates rise as much as 14%.

The bottom line: "[They] have boundless potential ... but we know that one-to-one support and mentoring are key to their success," Amy Gort, the school's provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs, said in a statement.