The University of Baltimore received a grant from the philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York of $1,000,000 during the fall semester. The multi-year award will be disbursed over three years and is being used to fund the University’s “Near Completers” program.
The University of Baltimore defines a “near completer” as any undergraduate student who is within 30 credit hours of finishing a bachelor’s degree, and approximately 30 percent of students who enroll in any given academic year do not move on to the next. One way to reduce this stop out rate and to increase both retention and degree completions is to provide these students with the financial incentive to re-enroll and earn their degree without the burden of additional loans. To date, close to $120,000 has been awarded to 37 “near completers” to help them finish out the 2025-26 academic year.
The majority of UBalt students need financial assistance to enroll—60 percent of the student population is Pell Grant eligible, and 70 percent receive financial aid. Many of the University’s undergraduate students come from Baltimore City and the surrounding counties, and 40 percent identify as first-generation college students. With an average age of 31, most are also employed and/or have family commitments. Each year, too many of these students—who have already earned 90 or more credit hours toward their bachelor’s degree—are not able to continue their education due to financial difficulties.
“Near completers” who face the difficult choice of pausing their education face a variety of financial barriers that prevent them from completing their degrees. There are many students who have stopped out of UBalt because they have a hold on their account due to an outstanding balance. Other students need tuition assistance beyond an award that brings their account into good financial standing—because the problem (i.e. lack of Pell Grant funding) has not been resolved. And still, many students only need a one-time scholarship award because of an unexpected financial hardship, such as a vehicle breaking down or an unexpected medical bill arising.
The million-dollar, multi-year grant will support students with limited or exhausted Pell Grant eligibility, those who have stopped out of UBalt because of an inability to pay their balance and those who experience a one-time financial hardship and need assistance to stay enrolled. The funds will also allow the University to contact previously enrolled students who dropped but fit the profile of a “near completer” who could potentially re-enroll with support from a scholarship of this nature.
Roxie Shabazz, vice president for enrollment at the University of Baltimore acknowledged the significance of the award: “Carnegie’s transformative investment will directly address one of the most significant challenges that too many of our students face—financial difficulties that threaten their ability to re-enroll and complete a degree. Supporting students through to graduation is not just about access, but about ensuring they have the resources to persist and succeed.”
“This grant enables us to provide targeted financial assistance to students close to graduation and ensure that are able to cross the finish line and achieve their educational goals,” said Shabazz. “We are profoundly grateful to Carnegie for helping these students to not only graduate but to do so on time.”
With a gift of this size, the University expects to provide support to upwards of 60-100 students each year to help them successfully graduate. The funding will range from $500 to $5,000 each semester and will provide funds to cover tuition, fees or books. In addition, the University will connect these “near completers” with resources provided by the Financial Empowerment Workgroup on campus, as well as ensure a student success coordinator has apprised them of all the resources at their disposal to help them graduate in a timely fashion.
"Too many students fall short of a college degree because of a small financial disruption,” said Saskia Levy Thompson, a program director for Education at Carnegie Corporation of New York. “Carnegie’s support for the University of Baltimore’s Near Completers program is designed to remove those last, often decisive barriers so students can finish what they started. Helping students cross the finish line is a proven way to strengthen economic mobility for working adults, first-generation students, and communities like Baltimore.”
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The University of Baltimore is a member of the University System of Maryland and comprises
the College of Public Affairs, the Merrick School of Business, The University of Baltimore
School of Law and the Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences.
Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace.