DSLCC Educational Foundation Releases Dabney Promise Program Results   Clifton Forge, VA (July 5, 2018) - The DSLCC Educational Foundation Board is proud to release its first annual Dabney Promise Program results, which includes two years of program statistics. The Dabney Promise Program is a need-based program that provides a tertiary level of financial support – following scholarships and Financial Aid – to “fill the gap” of students’ financial need to attend DSLCC. Should students’ scholarships and financial aid not be enough to cover tuition and books, the Dabney Promise Program will cover the remaining tuition (up to 15 credits per semester) and will provide a book stipend of $750 per semester. In return, students must maintain a 2.25 GPA, attend a mandatory orientation session and donor recognition reception, and complete 8 hours of community service. “We think it’s critical that students understand the importance of giving back to their communities, which have supported them by making financial contributions to the Dabney Promise Program,” said Rachael Thompson, DSLCC Educational Foundation Executive Director. “In addition, it is our goal to foster the development of community awareness, empathy, and support in our students; community service is the perfect avenue to generate these qualities,” Thompson stated. Beyond community service, students in the Dabney Promise Program have proven to be successful in the classroom. The retention rate of the Dabney Promise students thus far is 76%, which more than doubles that of the campus community at large. With two program years completed, the following statistics have been compiled: In year one (2016-2017), there were 71 total applicants and 53 eligible applicants. Of those 53 eligible applicants, 100% were served by the program. The average award amount was $1,291. Year two (2017-2018) yielded a 32% growth over year one, with 70 students served. Ninety applications were received, of which 71 were eligible; of those eligible, 70 (98.6%) were served by the program. The average award amount was $2,183. “We are very proud of these early results. They underscore that the Dabney Promise Program is doing exactly what we intended – getting more students into college who might not otherwise be able to attend and increasing the number of local individuals with the college credentials they’ll need to enter the workforce. It has been a win-win for our local region,” said Dr. John Rainone, DSLCC President. The Dabney Promise Program obtains funding from individuals, private foundations, and area governing bodies. The third cohort begins this fall, with results of the 2018-2019 academic year forthcoming next summer. The Foundation has awarded more than $285,000 in scholarships – both traditional, merit-based scholarships and Dabney Promise Program scholarships – to 125 students for the upcoming academic year. The application process will begin again in December for the 2019-2020 academic year. “We are delighted with the success of the program thus far, and we anticipate another strong year ahead as we enter into the third cohort of Dabney Promise students,” said Donna Vaughn, DSLCC Educational Foundation Board President. “Our Board feels that this is a crucial piece to attracting, retaining, and graduating DSLCC students, enabling them to become fully independent, contributing members of our communities.” Established as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, the Dabney S. Lancaster Community College Educational Foundation exists solely to support and promote Dabney S. Lancaster Community College. The Educational Foundation’s primary focus is to keep education affordable through the awarding of student scholarships and to provide students the support they need to achieve their goals. The Foundation also supports the college through the purchase of enhanced technology and classroom equipment and assists in funding innovative programming. To obtain more information regarding the Foundation, the Dabney Promise Program, and scholarship opportunities or to make a donation, please contact Foundation Director, Rachael Thompson, at (540) 863-2837 or via email at rthompson@dslcc.edu,/a>.

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