Some Memphis kids eligible for full rides to top colleges as Rhodes joins national program

By this spring, some Memphis students could be recipients of full-ride scholarships to top colleges, and Rhodes College will have the first of a new recurring cohort of young leaders.  

It's the result of pandemic innovation by the Posse Foundation, a national organization that identifies high school seniors with leadership interests at schools that are traditionally under-recruited by universities. The program selects students in a handful of partner cities across the country, ultimately pairing them with one of a handful of Posse colleges seeking students from that region. Students chosen for the cohort go off to college for free, with support of their new "posse." 

In normal times, the students meet regularly throughout the final months of their senior years to complete a pre-college training program, which covers topics from collegiate leadership to budgeting skills. Because of the pandemic, the foundation moved these courses online, Rhodes College leaders explained, offering the virtual instruction so many other schools and universities opted for at some point over the last year. Being online removed some geographical constraints on the program, opening a door that Rhodes had been eyeing for a few years. 

At first, the foundation asked Rhodes to become one of its more than 60 partner schools. New to 2020, Rhodes would be accepting students across from the country, explained college President Marjorie Hass, rather than from just one of the 10 cities where the foundation usually recruits students.

"It gave us the opportunity to say, 'Could Memphis be part of that?'" Hass said. The college wanted Memphis students to have the chance to enter a cohort and apply for full-rides, potentially to Rhodes. The Posse Foundation said yes. 

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Rhodes College said the foundation has since been working with Shelby County Schools in nomination efforts. The foundation will identify 20 students from across the country for Rhodes College to consider for the cohort, and, this year, the college will decide on their 10 recipients in February. Of those 10, up to two could be Memphians, Rhodes said. Other Memphis students would be eligible for scholarships at other Posse universities. 

"We want Rhodes' presence in Memphis to be good news for every Memphian, not just for our students," Hass said. 

Focusing on students often missed by recruitment efforts

Rhodes will initially be part of the program for four years of students. It will fund the full tuition scholarships, and hopes to one day see those scholarships endowed.

Once on campus, Posse students are not obligated to any particular field of study or student organization, but will continue to take part in leadership-focused workshops that are often inclusive of both Posse students and other students on campus. Though according to Posse, about 80% of one recent cohort was involved in student leadership, and 20% were their college's student presidents. 

In addition to its focus on leadership, the program also focuses on students who are missed by most recruitment efforts, creating cohorts of students of color and students who are often the first in their families to go to school. This fits in to existing Rhodes initiatives to diversify its student body, but will hopefully also do a small part to combat a recent trend of fewer low-income students applying to college. 

J. Carey Thompson, vice president for enrollment and communications and dean of admission at Rhodes, pointed to a review of data from this year's Common Application. Data showed that while applications were down overall, the trend was disparately impacting first generation and low income applicants, as Inside Higher Ed reported.

Supporting students in those applications will take a community effort, Hass said, as families are disrupted financially and otherwise by the pandemic. Although the Posse cohort is a small part of that gap, she hopes the nomination process and existence of a cohort in Memphis will bring some attention to college as an option.

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"In terms of the numbers of students who may be Posse students eventually, it'll be a small percentage, obviously, of young people, but hopefully the whole program and the knowledge of it will also help bring some attention to leadership development," Hass said, "and will give the students who go through the process — even if they don't wind up as Posse scholars — a leg up on thinking about and learning about the whole college admissions process as well."

For students who do become part of the program, they will be interacting with leadership not only within Rhodes, but also within the community. With about 40% of Rhodes graduates staying in the city, Hass said, Posse could also contribute to the development and retention of new talent in Memphis. 

"Because if you're an emerging leader...Memphis is such a great proving ground," Hass said. "There's work to be done. There's such good community spirit. There's opportunities to learn everywhere you turn."

Laura Testino covers education and children's issues for the Commercial Appeal. Reach her at laura.testino@commercialappeal.com or 901-512-3763. Find her on Twitter: @LDTestino