About DCPS Persists

DCPS Alumni currently supported by DCPS Persists

Awarded in Microgrants and Emergency Funds to DCPS Persists students to help with college expenses since 2020

What is DCPS Persists?

DCPS Persists is a transformative college success program specifically designed for graduates of DC Public Schools. Our commitment is to help students make the transition from high school to college graduation and beyond.

Through personalized guidance, financial aid assistance, and the sharing of valuable experiences, DCPS Persists strives to ensure that each graduate’s college experience is not only successful but also enriching and fulfilling.

Currently, DCPS Persists supports high school graduates from the classes of 2020 through 2024 who registered for the program while in high school. While we are not accepting new students at this time, we remain committed to serving our existing cohort with care and dedication.

How We Got Here

DCPS has consistently dedicated substantial resources to prepare students for life after high school. Despite these efforts, many DCPS graduates face challenges in navigating the academic and structural aspects of college, resulting in low success rates in students persisting through and completing their college education.

To address this issue, DCPS Persists was launched in 2020, representing the first college persistence initiative led by an urban school district. Funded by the DC Public Education Fund, with a generous investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, DCPS Persists embodies a collaborative effort to provide essential support and resources for students pursuing higher education and academic success.

With a primary mission to implement systems that ensure student preparedness and enhance college enrollment and graduation rates among DCPS graduates, the DCPS Persists program has played a pivotal role in turning college dreams into reality for countless students, transforming the educational landscape of the nation’s capital.

What Our Students Are Saying

“With the immense support DCPS Persists has always given me, not only academically but also financially and emotionally, I could never thank my Coach, Niara Webb, enough for checking up on me whenever I needed, from the 1-3 messages to our Zoom meetings. DCPS is more than the four years of your high school journey; it will accompany you into the next four years of your journey but as DCPS Persists!”

Yohanna MbedgueAmerican University, c/o 2027

“DCPS Persists is an amazing program that provides students with the essential resources needed to achieve success in college. I am grateful for the support this program offers me, significantly enriching my college journey and ensuring a fulfilling educational experience.”

Abinezer Abate University of Maryland – College Park, c/o 2027

“Being in the DCPS Persists program has helped me tremendously. Cait, my coach, has given me great advice over the course of my first semester. When I first began, I felt like a deer in headlights, but having meetings with her has made me feel better about myself and about school.”

Sadé QuickTowson University, c/o 2027

“DCPS Persists has provided me with unwavering support that allows me to flourish in not just my academics but in my personal life as well. I was blessed with the opportunity to do a live interview alongside my Persists Coach, Asheley, that granted me the ability to share my knowledge and experience with my platform and give advice to future students. The DCPS Persists program has provided me with a community of professionals and students that doesn’t gatekeep on advice, programs, support, and good times.”

Donae MillerSUNY – Oswego, c/o 2026

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