Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Milton Hershey School signed a Memorandum of Understanding on December 7.
The agreement formalizes a partnership that aims to provide more focused and sustained support to low-income, first-generation college students, a demographic that includes many MHS students.
“We have been very proud to educate students from Milton Hershey School, and we have a great opportunity to expand our existing partnership and support for Milton Hershey School students, focusing on our goal of helping all of our students to succeed,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “The Milton Hershey School does a great job in preparing students to achieve their higher education goals, as well as life goals.
“With this MOU, we also demonstrate our commitment to building even stronger connections between our two institutions in order that Milton Hershey School students can know all the possibilities IUP can offer.”
The agreement will provide MHS students with more tools and resources to set them up for success at IUP as well as individualized academic coaching to enhance the MHS student experience and graduation outcomes.
“This partnership demonstrates IUP and Milton Hershey School's combined commitment to helping students from lower income backgrounds realize their postsecondary goals through individualized attention and resources,” MHS Vice President of Graduate Programs for Success Tanya Barton said.
“Together, we are taking an active role in supporting first-generation college students so they reach graduation, graduate on time, and succeed academically,” Barton said.
Over the past 10 years, 77 to 94 percent of MHS graduates attended a postsecondary institution compared to the national average of 66 to 70 percent.