City of Mesa and Mesa Community College announce expansion to Mesa College Promise program
The City of Mesa and Mesa Community College announced on March 4 an expansion to the accepted applicants to include adults for the Mesa College Promise program at MCC.
Mesa Mayor John Giles, Vice Mayor Francisco Heredia, Councilmembers Jenn Duff, Mark Freeman, Julie Spilsberry and Interim President Britt were all in attendance.
With the updates, applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for benefits:
- Demonstrating financial need through FAFSA completion and supporting documentation
- Earned a high school diploma or GED
- Not previously attended college or some college with no degree
- Enrolling at MCC in a minimum of 6 credits as a degree or certificate-seeking student in an eligible program of study
MCC had 88 students in the fall of 2021, 201 students in fall of 2022 and 200 students in the program in fall of 2023. More than 70% of students are the first in their families to attend college, according to a news release by MCC.
MCC also utilizes the program to support the Achieve60AZ program which aims to have at least 60% of Arizona adults have a “high-value” workforce certification or college degree by 2030, according to the release.
“The Mesa College Promise, aimed at adults, embodies our collective commitment to the Achieve60AZ goal. By offering accessible pathways to higher education, programs like the Mesa College Promise play a pivotal role in allowing us to achieve this much-needed goal,” said Rich Nickel, CEO of Education Forward Arizona.
Education Forward Arizona is a non-profit organization which, “advocates for and acts on education improvements that advance the quality of life for all Arizonans,” according to their website.
MCC said more than $760,000 has been donated to the Mesa College Promise program through government and private business matched funds since the creation of the program in 2021.
Google has also donated an additional $100,000 to the program, announced by Mayor Giles at the 2024 State of the City address on Feb. 13.
