First generation Dover students to get aid, support for college

DOVER —  A promise to get first-generation students into college will become reality with the help of grant funding and local partnerships. 

Impact 100 Garden State awarded $110,000 to County College of Morris to launch its Dover College Promise Program. They join forces with The Educational Center in Dover to prepare first-generation middle and high school students for college and provide scholarship funding to keep them there. 

"We're doing something not for, but with the community," said CCM President Anthony Iacono. "Our belief is that we uplift Dover by educating students that will be the next generation of leaders in their town. That's the sustainability piece of this."

Dover College Promise is slated to begin fall 2020 and is aimed at low-income students who are the first in their families to attend college. The CCM Foundation will provide scholarships to cover tuition and in the first year, the program will enroll 30 high school juniors. At full capacity, the program is expected to serve 146 students annually.

Students will also receive college readiness training, tutoring, mentorship and support throughout the college process. CCM will work with the center to identify those most likely to benefit from the program and further services at that location. 

Missing:Family searches for Morristown man missing for over two weeks

Education:Montville high school student wins Governor's Award for musical ability

Super:'Bold vision' earns top state award for Morris School district superintendent

"If we can help a student focus and help them on their pathway to college, that student would graduate college, become a professional and help their family get out of poverty," said Ed Lopez, founder of The Educational Center and Educational Opportunity Fund counselor at CCM. 

Lopez has been involved with assisting students and families in Dover for more than 20 years. He runs the ESCUCHA! youth mentorship program for local high school students looking for opportunities to become college-bound leaders. His students work on a number of community service projects alongside a team of mentors. 

In conjunction with CCM efforts, the center will also tap into their human capital and form an alumni organization to help mentor students and provide additional support. 

"From professionals to college students to high school students, they're all pulling each other up. It's an important thing for the community to focus on," Lopez said. 

CCM will house an adviser at the ESCUCHA! program, the Dover School District and on the CCM campus. The college has also hired bilingual counselors and designated one for Dover High School. 

Once the program proves successful, Iacono hopes to expand out to other towns, including Morristown and Wharton. 

"The financial need, that’s what we're targeting. We don’t want anyone behind," Iacono said. 

According to the college, CCM students received over $18,000 in federal, state and institutional aid in 2019. Students received almost $16,000 in aid in 2018. 

The County College of Morris is less than  3 miles away from Dover's historic downtown. The Dover College Promise stems from CCM’s 2018 Dover Initiative, which studied how to better serve the community, along with the college’s overall mission to provide programs and services to communities throughout Morris County.

Jessie Gomez is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com and NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: jgomez@gannettnj.com Twitter: @jessiereport