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In addition to the Instructional Programs and Services category, HCCC was also a Top Ten Finalist in the Workforce Development category (鈥淕ateway to Innovation鈥� program) and Planning, Governance and Finance category (鈥淏uilding an Inclusive and Engaged Workforce鈥�). As such, the College was one of only two community colleges in the United States to be invited to compete in all three program categories.

Dr. Christopher Reber, HCCC President, led the 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� team, which included Dr. Gretchen Schulthes, Director of Advisement; John Urgola, Director of Institutional Research and Planning; Mackenzie Johnson, 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� Academic Counselor; and Natalie Jimenez, HCCC student and 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� participant.

鈥淭his award is especially meaningful because the 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� program reflects our College community鈥檚 collective commitment to our students鈥� success,鈥� Dr. Reber stated. 鈥淲e offer heartfelt thanks to the Bellwether College Consortium and to all at HCCC who work every day to provide life-changing opportunities for our students and the people of Hudson County.鈥� 

Designed and developed under Dr. Reber鈥檚 leadership, the 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� program utilizes proven best practices of the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) and the City University of New York (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP). 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� provides proactive advisement, financial stipends, and early academic intervention to ensure that a greater number of students facing financial challenges, language barriers, employment concerns, and family responsibilities complete their college education, achieve their goals, and realize their dreams.

The program is open to incoming students enrolled for at least six credit hours of coursework at HCCC including students enrolled in their final semester of English as a Second Language (ESL), and all levels of Academic Foundations English. 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� participants have the advantage of meeting regularly with 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� academic counselors, whose caseloads are 80% smaller than those of other advisors, and who keep students on track with an early-alert system. Counselors keep track of academic progress; prompt students to complete assigned tasks; assist students in setting academic and career goals; monitor outside factors that may impact students鈥� progress; and make referrals to on-campus services such as tutoring and mental health counseling.

鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� are further incentivized to engage in high-impact practices each month and receive monthly stipends of $125 to $250 for completing designated tasks and achieving important academic milestones. The stipends are utilized for books and supplies; purchasing food and paying bills; transportation; housing; tuition; childcare; and other purposes.

HCCC formulated the 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� program to initially serve almost 800 students 鈥� four times the number of students enrolled in the HCCC EOF Program. The number of students in the program has since increased to 1,700, and by meeting or exceeding retention benchmarks, the revenue from increased retention has exceeded program costs (salaries/benefits, stipends) that were initially funded using federal stimulus dollars.

鈥淭he outcomes of this program are beyond expectations,鈥� Dr. Reber said. 鈥淚t is immensely gratifying to see the differences the program model is making for our students.鈥�

Some of the most significant outcomes include:

• First-Time, Full-Time (FTFT) 2021 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� persisted fall-to-fall at a rate of 75% , a 32% improvement upon the rate of other students.
• 62% of 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� who entered HCCC as part-time students increased their credit load for their second semester. More than 50% of these part-time students increased to full-time status for their second semester.
• 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� beginning their fourth semester are being retained at a rate of 61%, a 30% increase over non-Hudson Scholars students.
• 99% of 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� who met with their Academic Counselor monthly during their first semester persisted to their second semester.
• 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� who worked with their Academic Counselor each semester consistently passed 85% of their classes while earning a 3.1 cumulative grade point average during their first academic year.
• 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� who worked with their Academic Counselor each month during their first academic year passed 93% of their classes while earning a 3.4 cumulative grade point average.
• 21% of fall 2021 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� earned 30-plus credits in their first academic year. This is 3.5 times the rate of non-鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� students and 200% higher than the average student population over the last ten years.
• More than 20% of 2021 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� are on track to graduate in two years. This surpasses the 2011-17 two-year graduation rate by 852%.
  
• 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� has addressed persistence and completion gaps among traditionally underrepresented groups. Hispanic and Latino participants are 52% more likely to persist to Term 4 and 363% more likely than other students to graduate in two years. Black and African American participants are 80% more likely to persist to Term 4 and 275% more likely to graduate in two years.

Students participating in the 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� program are equally happy with its effect on their quest for a college degree. 鈥淚 really enjoyed the program, and I felt the one-on-one contact made me more confident,鈥� said 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� participant Christina Arteta, who is set to graduate this May. 鈥淚 felt like someone cared, and I was not just another student.鈥�

This is not the first time 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� has received national recognition. The program was honored by The League for Innovation in the Community College with that organization鈥檚 2021-22 Innovation of the Year Award. HCCC is further scaling the highly successful 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� model to all students served by the College over the next two years.

Additional Information about the 鈥淗udson Scholars鈥� program is available at /student-success/advisement-transfer/hudson-scholars/index.html.