>> WELCOME BACK.
WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT DEGREE
FORWARD AND THE PROSPECT MUCH
GETTING AN ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE IN
A YEAR FOR $7,000 I THOUGHT IT
HAD TO BE A KNOCKOFF LIKE A
LOUIS VUITTON BAG.
BUT LET’S TALK WITH DOUG ROSS OF
THE DIPLOMA EQUITY PROJECT AND
I’VE TURNED TO MANY TIMES TO
TALK EDUCATION.
DANIEL, I WANT TODAY START WITH
YOU, YOU’RE RIGHT NOW EXPLAINING
HOW THIS WORKS TO A LOT OF
PEOPLE SO I’LL BE WHOLLY
UNORIGINAL AND LET’S START THAT
EXACT WAY.
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
>> YEAH, WELL, DEVIN, THANKS SO
MUCH FOR HAVING US AND WE’RE
JUST SO EXCITED TO HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR WORKING
PROFESSIONALS AND ADULTS WHO MAY
HAVE DROPPED OUT OF COLLEGE OR
NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO
START TO HAVE AN ACCELERATED
ACHIEVABLE AND AFFORDABLE PATH
TO COMPLETE THEIR DEGREE.
AND THE WAY WE DO THAT IS WITH A
PROJECT-BASED CURRICULUM THROUGH
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE
UNIVERSITY WHICH IS AN
ACCREDITED NONPROFIT COLLEGE AND
THIS PROGRAM IS ONLINE, BUT WE
PROVIDE IN-PERSON WRAPAROUND
SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS THAT
INCLUDES INTENSIVE COACHING AND
THAT COACHING INCLUDES US BEING
ABLE TO SEE THEIR PROJECTS AND
HELP THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR
ENTIRE PROGRAM AND OTHER
WRAPAROUND SUPPORT SUCH AS CHILD
CARE IF THEY NEED IT,
TRANSPORTATION, A STUDENT CENTER
WITH A COMPUTER LAB AND
EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO GET FROM
POINT A TO POINT B AND THAT’S A
QUICK, STRAIGHT FORWARD VERSION
OF IT.
>> AND AMID THIS IDEA THAT IT’S
PROJECT BASED.
INSTEAD OF ME GOING THROUGH A
LONG CURRICULUM, MY ADVANCE
THROUGH THE PROGRAM IS BASED ON
THE PROJECTS LAID OUT FOR ME AND
AS I COMPLETE THEM I’M DONE,
RIGHT?
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
SO YOU’RE EITHER GOING TO GET A
NOT YET OR A MASTER WHEN YOU
SUBMIT A PROJECT.
THE PROCESS OR THE CYCLE IS
SUBMIT, REVISE, REPEAT.
YOU SUBMIT A PROJECT, A
REVIEWING LOOKS AT IT, PROVIDE
YOU FEEDBACK AND WE CAN HELP YOU
MAKE THE CORRECTIONS, HEY,
YOU’VE GOT GRAMMAR ISSUES HERE
OR DIDN’T MEET THIS AREA OF THE
RUBRIC AND THEY MAKE THE CHANGES
AND SUBMIT IT AGAIN AND IN MOST
CASES MASTER IT FROM THERE AND
THESE ARE REAL LIVE, REAL WORLD
PROJECTS THEY’RE WORKING ON.
>> DOUG, YOU’RE THE FOUNDER OF
UNIVERSITY PREP WHICH BASICALLY
MEANS YOU BUILT A SECONDARY
INFORMATION SYSTEM ON THE
PROCESS OF HEADED TO COLLEGE,
BUT FOR MANY THAT’S NOT A
REALITY?
>> WELL, THE BIGGER REALITY IS
THAT PEOPLE DO START COLLEGE.
>> START.
>> BUT LIKE -- THEY STOP AND
WE’VE GOT MORE THAN 600,000
ADULTS IN METRO DETROIT WHO HAVE
SOME COLLEGE, BUT NO DEGREE.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR,
LEGISLATURE SET THIS GOAL OF AT
LEAST 60% OF US HAVING COLLEGE
DEGREES OR SKILL CERTIFICATES BY
2030.
AND WHEN YOU DO THE MATH, THE
ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET THERE IS BY
BRINGING A LOT OF ADULTS BACK
AND HAVING THEM COMPLETE AND THE
REASON DEGREE FORWARD IS SO
EXCITING, IS IT’S BASED ON A
MODEL THAT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL
IN BOSTON AND IT’S DESIGNED
SPECIFICALLY FOR ADULTS WHO HAVE
JOBS AND HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES,
AND IT CREATES THE KIND OF AN
ACCESSIBILITY AND THE ABILITY TO
ACCELERATE AND GET A DEGREE
QUICKLY AND AFFORDABLY.
>> AND THE COST ELEMENT, IF
YOU’VE HAD--
IF YOU’VE GOT TWO YEARS LEFT TO
GO ON YOUR DEGREE AND YOU LOOK
AT WHAT ANOTHER TWO TO THREE
YEARS OF DEGREES WILL COST YOU
IN YOUR 30’S AND 40’S, IT’S EASY
NOT TO DO IT SO THAT PART OF
THAT IS BUILT FOR THEM AS WELL,
RIGHT, DOUG?
>> YES, AND IF YOU STILL HAVE
ELIGIBILITY, IF YOUR INCOME IS
SUCH THAT YOU STILL GET PELL
GRANTS, WHICH IS TRUE IF YOU’VE
GOT A FAMILY FOR FOLKS WHO ARE
FAIRLY MIDDLE CLASS, YOU KNOW,
AS MUCH AS 7,000 A YEAR IN
TUITION CAN BE COVERED.
SO IT MAY BE THAT IT’S REALLY
PRETTY NEGLIGIBLE, THE COST.
YOU CAN MOVE AT YOUR OWN SPEED
AND YOU’RE NOT TIED DOWN BY ANY
EXTERNAL--
>> AND WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE
UNIVERSITY THAT BOTH YOU TRUST,
BUT IS ALSO PERFECT FOR THE
PROGRAM?
>> YEAH, WELL, WHAT I LOVE IS
THAT SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE
UNIVERSITY HAS ACTUALLY BEEN
COMMITTED TO PROVIDING
CURRICULUM AND PROGRAMS FOR
ADULTS FOR MANY YEARS, AND THIS
IS JUST ANOTHER COMMERCIAL OF
THEIR PROGRAMMING.
ALTHOUGH THEY’RE OUTSIDE OF THE
STATE, THEY ARE AN INNOVATEOR AN
A FORERUNNER FOR THIS MODEL
WHICH EXISTS IN BOSTON AND I’VE
BEEN OUT TO BOSTON AND I’VE SEEN
THE PROGRAM FIRSTHAND AND I’VE
SEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE BENEFITTED
FROM IT AND I’VE SAT IN CALLS
WITH FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE
PROGRAM AND I’M WATCHING THEM
PROGRESS, FOLKS WHO HAVE DONE
JUST THIS VERY THING, COMPLETED
THEIR DEGREE IN ONE YEAR, EVEN
SOME FOLKS WHO COMPLETED THEIR
BA IN TWO YEARS, SO I’VE SEEN
THE PROOF AND I’VE SEEN THE
STATS WHICH THEY ARE ACHIEVING
50% GRADUATION RATES IN
TWO-YEARS FOR THAT AA PROGRAM,
AND THAT’S JUST ASTONISHING AND
WE NEED THAT HERE IN DETROIT.
AND IN MICHIGAN.
>> DOUG, DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE
CASE FOR PEOPLE THAT THEY’VE
GONE DOWN THE PATH AND MAYBE YOU
KIND OF GAVE UP ON THE DEGREE
AND DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO
FIND THAT THAT COLLEGE DEGREE IS
STILL WORTH SOMETHING?
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RESPONSE
THAT RECONNECT GOT, YOU KNOW,
THE FREE ACCESS TO COLLEGE
PEOPLE 25 OR OLDER WHO DIDN’T
HAVE A DEGREE, IT’S CLEARLY OF
INTEREST, IT’S ON THE MINDS OF A
LOT OF PEOPLE AND FOR A COUPLE
OF REASONS.
SOME SEE IT AS NECESSARY TO GET
THE DEGREE TO GET UP TO THE
CAREER AND NEXT PROMOTION, FOR
OTHERS, IT GOES MORE TO PERSONAL
DREAMS AND GOALS.
I WANT TO DO THIS FOR MYSELF.
I WANT TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR MY
CHILDREN, I WANT THEM TO GO TO
COLLEGE.
IF I DON’T HAVE A DEGREE WHAT
KIND OF CREDIBILITY DO I HAVE?
I THINK THE DEMAND IS THERE AND
WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO HERE,
UNDER DANIELLE’S LEADERSHIP, IS
BRING A DESIGN, SPECIFICALLY FOR
ADULTS, SO THAT IT WORKS IN YOUR
LIFE.
BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT 18.
YOU’VE GOT TO WORK FULL-TIME.
YOU’VE GOT TO PICK UP KIDS FROM
SCHOOL AND YOU’VE GOT ALL OF
THESE COMPLICATIONS AND YET, YOU
NEED A DEGREE OR YOU WANT A
DEGREE AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THERE’S A PRACTICAL WAY TO DO
IT.
>> IF YOU’VE TALKED ME INTO IT,
SOME STARTING IN SCHOOL AND HOW
DO I START MAKING MY WAY DOWN
THIS PATH.
SURE, YOU’RE GOING TO VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT DEGREE FORWARD.ORG.
>> THERE IT IS.
WE PUT IT ON THE SCREEN FOR YOU.
>> YEAH, YOU’RE GOING TO FILL
OUT THE QUICK FORM OR APPLY NOW
FORM AND EITHER MYSELF OR
SOMEONE ON MY TEAM, WE’RE GOING
TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND WE’RE
GOING TO SEND YOU THE
APPLICATION, DON’T GO TO THE
SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE’S
UNIVERSITY FOR THAT.
WE WALK WALK YOU THROUGH THE
APPLICATION, ASSIST WITH FAN AID
AND WALK YOU THROUGH THE
PROCESS.
WE HAVE SIX TERMS NEXT ONE
JANUARY 3RD AND THE APPLICATION
WINDOW CLOSES ON DECEMBER 10TH.
LET US HELP YOU WITH YOUR
DEGREE.
>> AND THE CANDIDATES THAT DOUG