Getting Across the Finish Line: Helping Students Finish Their Degrees

Brought about by the awareness that there are a number of students who are a few credits or classes away from graduation, College leadership and advising staff were looking for a way to utilize funds to support students who were very close to graduation. This pioneering scholarship was granted to three students this fall, with two more starting in Spring 2024.  

Exko Ramey, Administrative Assistant for the Department of History, became involved in the project by helping to compile information about what students needed to complete their degrees. She and advisors then reached out to students to inform them of what they needed to do and offer assistance. 

“I found it amazing to find students who didn’t know they could graduate if they could just finish some paperwork,” Ramey says.  

Tate Christensen, Advising Coordinator for the College of Arts and Letters says,“Some of these students were literally one class away from graduation, but had been unable to finish for one reason or another.” 

They began by addressing the challenges hindering the students' progress such as financial barriers, burnout, or doing poorly in a subject. Taking a holistic approach, the students meet regularly with Christensen and he connects them to resources such as tutoring.

"Our commitment goes beyond offering funds; we actively guide them through resources available for their success," Christensen says. “We want to make sure these students have someone they’re tied to who can guide them.”

Christensen says that many students who stopped out had intended to return to complete their degrees, but were discouraged by the perceived distance to graduation or overwhelmed by financial burdens. He noted a particular instance where they contacted a student who was just nine credits away from graduation. This had been keeping her from moving up in her career but she had been financially strained and unable to envision completing her degree. She became one of the scholarship recipients.

“She can now pursue her career aspirations with the last bit of support she needed," Christensen says. “Now she has everything she needs left to graduate so she can continue in her career, and she couldn’t be more ecstatic.”

Taking a personalized approach, Christensen continues to work individually with the scholarship recipients until they graduate.

"Our primary focus is to ensure these students have a dedicated guide to assist them through their final steps," he says. "For these students, these scholarships are what's making graduation possible. It's vital to provide this extra support to help them achieve their academic goals.”