The Come to Believe Network (CTB) formally announced the University of Portland as one of the members of its Design Grant cohort for 2023-2024. The selected institutions are:
• Canisius University, Buffalo, NY
• Holy Cross College, Notre Dame, IN
• University of Portland, Portland, OR
• University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
• University of San Diego, San Diego, CA
• Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH
• Mt. St. Mary’s University and Homeboy Industries, Los Angeles, CA (joint award)
CTB’s Design Grant program provides funding for universities—or community-based
organizations like Homeboy Industries partnering with a higher ed institution—to explore CTB’s
innovative two-year college model and begin to consider whether they have the bandwidth to
successfully replicate and sustain the model on their campus. As the year progresses, CTB
customizes its services for participating institutions as they segue from exploring to planning a
two-year college on their campuses, pending their board’s approval.
To ensure that the Design Grant process is both comprehensive and collaborative, each participating institution assembles a design team, led by a dedicated project manager, reflecting a cross section of the broader university community, with stakeholders representing various departments and perspectives across campus including enrollment, advancement, student life, faculty, and more.
During the fall semester, design teams from each participating institution will attend CTB sponsored and facilitated virtual retreats covering the financial, curriculum, and student support aspects of the CTB model. They will also visit an existing CTB model college to see these components in action. During the spring semester, CTB supports each design team as they conduct a comprehensive feasibility analysis to evaluate their capacity as a potential host institution for a new two-year college. CTB provides grants of up to $30,000 to each participating institution, covering the full cost of the process.
“I am over the moon about our new cohort. All of these institutions have an impressive track record of delivering high-qualityeducational opportunities for their students and their communities. They are also dedicated to leading the way as agents of access, affordability, and social mobility within the higher education ecosystem—which makes them ideal partners for CTB. As June becomes July, I’m thinking of many young people around the country who have just graduated from their high schools with few if any affordable post secondary opportunities that will provide them with the support needed to complete a college degree while incurring little to no debt. I’m encouraged to think about the opportunities ahead for more students if members of next year’s design grant cohort move from exploring to planning to opening CTB-model colleges on their campuses.”
CTB’s President and CEO, Steve Katsouros, SJ
CTB selects cohort members based on a recruitment and application process focused on key criteria that indicate readiness to host a CTB-model college, including: a commitment to social
justice, proximity to a significant population of Pell-eligible and undocumented students, a
reputation for academic excellence, substantial capacity for advancement, and access to generous need-based state financial aid.
About the Come to Believe Network
The Come to Believe Network (CTB) is a non-profit organization formed to provide higher education institutions with an innovative, results-oriented two-year college model that is
accessible to students who are underrepresented at selective universities. The model provides
both a credential and a two-year pathway to a bachelor’s degree—a ‘better normal’ for higher
ed access.