The Transfer Opportunity Program (TOP) is now offering ten new spots to students who need assistance with advising and so much more. TOP is a unique program to help students graduate which offers academic advising, transfer advising, peer tutoring, financial aid and scholarship assistance.
To be eligible for TOP, students need to meet certain federal requirements for low-income and be first generation college students who want to complete their transfer degree and transition to university. Students can use this service any time Monday through Friday as they are working toward that transfer. However, TOP will benefit the most students who use it from the beginning of their education.
Christina Allen, an AAOT transfer student, started the TOP program in spring. She is getting tutoring for math in the program which matches students up with tutors who identify with students’ curriculum needs. “I need a little extra help with math, so TOP has been providing me help through this process,” Allen said.
Since Allen started tutoring, her grades started to increase.
“The advisors also help with financial aid and filling out paperwork,” Allen said. She has also had help filling out scholarship applications to have a chance to graduate with as little debt as possible.
She is currently signed up with TOP to go to the OSU campus visit to tour the campus for her transfer from UCC. “I will be attending the OSU campus visit on the 24th of May to visit the children psychology section.”
“My experience with the TOP program has helped me to get resources I would have never thought I could get from college,” Allen said.
The TOP professionals’ help will vary with every student including students who might have learning disabilities.
TOP peer tutoring is also high quality. They even have a math teacher who is an engineer who tutors for math and for engineering. Having a teacher like this with such a high degree for a tutor is unusual.
TOP is 100% funded by the U.S. Department of Education in the amount of $296,602 under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
The rate the Department of Education expects to see for TOP students’ persistence is 40%, and UCC’s persistence rate is 84%. TOP also has a good academic standing at 98%, and earned associate’s degrees or certificates at 60% (the Department of Education goal is at least 30%).