SOUTH PORTLAND — The KeyBank of Maine Foundation is giving $500,000 to Southern Maine Community College to help college-ready students graduate within two years.

The three-year grant will pay for two full-time advisers to assist 90 students the first year and 150 students the following years. As part of the “Path to Graduation” program, SMCC is giving each student a $500 tuition scholarship each semester. The first group entered SMCC this fall.

The idea is to increase the number of students who stay on track in school, officials say.

“This will be transformational for this college,” Maine Community College System President John Fitzsimmons said Tuesday at a news conference announcing the donation.

For the last decade, the system has focused on growing the student body at its seven colleges, which transitioned from technical colleges to community colleges in 2003. Systemwide enrollment has more than doubled since then, from 11,625 students in the inaugural class entering in the fall of 2003 to 18,198 students in the fall of 2013.

“Today we have another goal: student success. It comes at a time when earning a degree is more important than ever,” Fitzsimmons said.

Currently, only 14 percent of SMCC students graduate within three years, with another 18 percent of students transferring out to another college.

The graduation rate goes up to 25 percent for students who graduate within four years, a reflection of the fact that many community college students take fewer courses while holding down jobs, raising a family or dealing with other life circumstances.

Nationwide, the graduation rate at two-year public colleges is 20 percent, according to federal data.

Students in the program said what they particularly like is that the advising isn’t just about classes; it includes talks on financial responsibility, how to dress for work, write a resume, and how to speak and carry themselves in a professional way. Employers frequently cite a lack of these so-called “soft skills” as major problems with new hires.

“(My adviser) really helped me with these kind of life lessons that you should know but never learned in high school,” said Emily Printy, an 18-year-old from Kennebunk who is studying psychology. She said she also appreciated practical academic advice, such as how to find discounted textbooks, and narrowing down her general interest in psychology with particular career paths. “She helps me with all these things,” Printy said.

Students in the KeyBank program must be first-time, full-time college students with financial need. They must also be what’s called “college-ready,” or not needing any remedial courses.

Students who complete the first year will serve as mentors during their second year to the next group of students.

The KeyBank foundation made the contribution because there is evidence that this kind of program works, said Sterling Kozlowski, a regional executive for KeyBank and a member of the board of directors for the Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges.

SMCC studied the outcomes of students who entered SMCC in fall 2011 and 2012 and found that those who received just one intensive group advising session, along the lines of a three-hour orientation, showed a 7 percent increase in retention, or re-enrolling for a second year, spokesman Clarke Canfield said.

“The community colleges make the most important contribution educationally in Maine,” said Kozlowski. “You have something really special here.”

The donation is the largest ever by the Keybank of Maine Foundation and among the largest ever received by SMCC, officials said.

Noel K. Gallagher can be contacted at 791-6387 or at:

ngallagher@pressherald.com

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