Completion By Design Information

Completion by Design is a five-year Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Signature Initiative designed to work with community colleges in order to significantly increase completion and graduation rates for low-income students under 26. Selected community colleges in states across the country will implement proven and effective practices that support every student, from the day they step onto campus, until the day they earn their degree or complete their credential. As part of the planning process, colleges will examine their own data and identify loss points. These may include admissions, academic catch-up, or transitions into workforce or further education. Completion by Design will focus on the needs of low-income young adults, providing needed structure to the community college experience. Students are proven to have greater success with completion and graduation when they are regularly given strong and practical guidance, as well as clear information, throughout their academic journey. The Completion by Design Assistance Team (CDAT) is a robust team of national education experts built for the purpose of helping community colleges across the country implement effective practices throughout the Initiative. CDAT will provide Managing Partners and their Cadres with the expert Technical Assistance required to address the full range of postsecondary educational matters: educational practice, data analysis and utilization, leadership, finance, systems change and policy.