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Helios Education Foundation Awards $1 million for EXCEL 2.0 Program

News June 10, 2019

Thanks to a generous award from the Helios Education Foundation, Phase 2 of the EXCEL Program has been launched and will provide an intensive success program for first generation and/or low-income students.

EXCEL assists students with academic preparation, encourages parental/familial involvement, and practices intrusive advising and intensive peer mentoring. Participants receive academic planning, transfer processes and holistic support services in an effort to minimize or completely remove cultural, academic, and/or financial barriers that would impede a student’s academic and personal success.

This is the second grant awarded by the Helios Education Foundation in support of the EXCEL program.  In 2015,  $1.5 million was awarded by Helios  to establish the EXCEL program serving students at Estrella Mountain Community College and Glendale Community College which are both federally recognized as Hispanic Serving Institutions, with a full-time equivalent student enrollment of 53% Hispanic at EMCC and 37% Hispanic at GCC.