Alumni and Friends Making an Impact

The Dayton area will benefit from more forever Flyers thanks to a grant from the Kessler Scholars Collaborative.

In 2022, UD was one of 10 institutions selected to join the collaborative, which includes Brown University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Washington University in St. Louis and others.  

Each university will have its own program within the collaborative’s cohort-based model. The goal for all programs is to provide financial, academic, professional and personal support for first-generation, limited-income students throughout their college career.

UD’s program will leverage the unique four-year experience of the UD Sinclair Academy to support first-generation college students from the Dayton area. UDSA received $1.25 million from an anonymous Dayton-area couple and $1 million for the UDSA Kessler Scholars Program — a project supported by the Kessler Scholars Collaborative and the American Talent Initiative with funding from the Judy and Fred Wilpon Family Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Daniel Tuss, director of foundation relations, said the Kessler Scholars Program aligns with UD’s mission to be an inclusive anchor institution for the common good. “This funding will be transformative to UDSA by expanding infrastructure and spurring deeper collaboration between UD and our partner anchor institution, Sinclair.” He added that being part of the collaborative will help UD and Sinclair “demonstrate a scalable and sustainable model for equitable access to higher education that public-private institutional partnerships in cities nationwide can replicate.”

During each year of the UDSA Kessler Scholars Program, 20 exceptional, first-generation students from the Dayton area will have opportunities to meet with academic advisers at both Sinclair and UD, attend workshops, network with other students across the Kessler Scholars Collaborative, receive preparation for life after graduation and more. 

The opportunity to be a part of both the UD and Sinclair communities while paying one of the lowest tuition rates in the state during their time at Sinclair has proven to be attractive to students. Enrollment increased from seven in 2016 to 230 in the spring of 2022. And the group of students has become more diverse — 22.2% of students enrolled for fall 2022 identified as historically underrepresented students, compared to 14% in fall 2021.

UDSA also strengthens the local workforce because the number of UDSA graduates who stay in the Dayton area is higher than those who follow a traditional four-year path.

“With a majority of UD Sinclair Academy graduates remaining in the Dayton area,” said Tuss, “this program provides an opportunity to graduate first-generation students from the Dayton area into high-paying jobs that support and sustain our community.”

This direct impact on the Dayton area is a significant benefit of UDSA. “The UD Sinclair Academy has become a major building block in the Dayton region,” said Jerry Tatar, a Sinclair Community College trustee emeritus. Tatar provided an initial investment to launch UDSA and encourage students to start their higher education at an exceptional community college and continue at a top-tier university.

Expanding UDSA is a chance to provide higher education to more students and bolster the Dayton-area workforce. “Thanks to the Kessler Scholars Collaborative,” said Tatar, “the appropriate resources are available to make this marvelous opportunity a reality.”