Higher Edge was founded in 2011 with the belief that more students would make it to college if they had access to consistent support and resources. Our mission is to guide low-income and first-generation students through enrollment, retention, and graduation from college by providing the support and resources needed for success. As the Eastern Connecticut’s only organization solely dedicated to college access and persistence, Higher Edge is laser-focused on what is becoming a national imperative, alert on all relevant research, and trained on all the intricacies of the daunting college application process. After our first year, it became strikingly clear that getting students to college is not enough to ensure their success. With only 1 in 10 low-income students graduating from college, there are additional barriers that hinder students successfully attaining a degree. As such, Higher Edge now operates two successful programs: + College Access Program + Success Program Higher Edge’s goal is for every participant to graduate high school and enroll in a two- or four-year college and ultimately graduate with a bachelor’s degree. While guiding students to enrollment is critical, it’s only the first step on the path to graduation. Too many talented students enroll in college but leave without earning a degree. As such, we succeed when our students walk across the stage with a college degree in hand.