Birmingham-Southern College Joins the Coalition for College

For Immediate Release
Sep. 16, 2020

Birmingham-Southern College has joined the Coalition for College, a diverse group of more than 150 public and private colleges and universities across the U.S. working to improve college access for low-income, under-resourced and first-generation students. As a member of the Coalition, Birmingham-Southern meets rigorous eligibility standards in access, affordability, and success, and demonstrates a commitment to supporting all students through the college preparation and application processes.

Coalition member institutions must enroll at least 20 percent under-represented and low-income students; graduate students with low-to-no debt, while either meeting students’ full demonstrated financial need, offering low-cost in-state tuition, or providing responsible financial aid packages; and/or have a graduation rate of 70 percent or higher or, for low-income and under-represented students, a graduation rate equal to or greater than the school's overall graduation rate.

For all students, whether applying to a member school or any other college, the Coalition offers students a set of free, online college planning tools, called MyCoalition, which helps them learn about, prepare for, and apply to colleges. It is designed to engage students in the college application process as early as ninth grade and is comprised of a convenient digital storage locker, and interactive collaboration space. An easy-to-use application, which is accepted by member schools, is also available through MyCoalition. This year’s application includes an optional checkbox-style question that allows students to choose the statements that describe how COVID-19 has affected their ability to engage in schoolwork.

“The power of the Coalition is in our ability to work across member institutions to provide helpful tools and advice to students about making smart college choices,” says Stacey Kostell, CEO of the Coalition. “That work is more important than ever at a time when the equity gap is growing and students need help staying on track during the pandemic. We’re thrilled to count Birmingham-Southern College as partners in this work and look forward to reaching more students together in the coming year.”

The Coalition was founded by a group of dedicated college administrators in 2015 with the goal to improve the college application process for all students, particularly those from historically under-represented groups. For more information about the Coalition for Coalition, including a complete list of members, visit http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/.