College Possible, one of the most successful college coaching programs in the nation, is expanding its reach with the introduction of Coach Possible, a new AI-powered coaching solution.
College Possible
College Possible, the national nonprofit dedicated to improving college access and success by students from low-income backgrounds, is celebrating its 25th year of operation in 2025.
Across its history, the program has helped more than 100,000 students move through the often overwhelming steps of applying to, enrolling in, and persisting through college. In the process, it’s earned a reputation as one of the most successful college coaching programs in the nation. Now, it’s looking to expand its reach even further with the introduction of Coach Possible, a new AI-powered coaching solution.
Founded in 2000, College Possible employs a unique student-support model that connects Pell Grant-eligible high school and college students with coaches who guide them through a curriculum designed to help surmount the various barriers that often prevent them from attending and completing college. The organization deploys a mix of about 100 AmeriCorps service members and 55 of its own full-time employees as its coaches.
The program begins serving students during their junior and senior years of high school. Most of the participants are in the “academic middle,” with grade point averages between 2.0 and 3.5. To be eligible, they also must meet financial requirements for Pell Grant eligibility.
Students attend after-school sessions led by the coaches twice a week in a group with other college-bound peers. Coaches, who typically serve somewhere between 20 and 60 students at participating schools, implement an interactive curriculum that covers topics like finding a best-fit college, improving academic preparation, making financial plans, submitting applications, and navigating enrollment successfully.
The program encourages students to find five “best fit” schools they would like to attend. Those who enroll in college continue to receive support from their coaches after they graduate from high school all the way through degree completion, amounting to six years of ongoing coaching. They also benefit from CoPilot, a student information system built on the Salesforce platform that gives university student services staff up-to-date information about all aspects of students’ academic progress.
Since its inception, College Possible has become one of the largest college access and success organizations in the U.S., growing from one office in St. Paul, Minnesota to seven regional sites nationwide — in Minnesota; Chicago; Omaha; Texas; Oregon; Washington; and Wisconsin. Annually, it works with about 25,000 high school and college students from underserved backgrounds, and its partner network now includes 180 colleges and high schools.
The program’s funding comes from AmeriCorps, private foundations, and individual donors. Its largest single grant was in 2017, when the Ballmer Group gave it a $20 million unrestricted donation.
The organization also operates a separate coaching program on several college campuses. Called Catalyze, it offers a curriculum designed to help first-generation and/or Pell-eligible students overcome the most common challenges to college persistence and degree completion. So far, it’s seen a 16% higher retention rate among first-year students.
College Possible has a proven track record of success. For example, one randomized trial study of the program involving 238 students found that it significantly increased applications to college and that initial enrollment at four-year colleges was 15 percentage points higher for program participants than nonparticipants. Nationwide, College Possible students are three times more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years than their peers from similar backgrounds.
A 2024 survey of nearly 1,300 alumni showed that they are completing college, succeeding in their careers, and achieving financial security.
- 95% of College Possible alumni are employed, the majority working full-time;
- 50% earn more than $60,000 annually, surpassing the national median for early career professionals;
- 38% graduate with no student debt, and another 13% graduate with less than $10,000 in debt;
- 83% are satisfied with their careers;
- 93% say the program helped prepare them for success, and 90% would recommend the program to others.
“These findings show that with the right support, students from trying family circumstances succeed in college and continue to thrive well beyond graduation,” said Siva Kumari, who was named the CEO of College Possible in 2023. “Our alumni aren’t just earning degrees; they are building careers, earning competitive salaries, and pursuing advanced degrees. These long-lasting outcomes are the result of consistent, student-centered support, and they remind us why this work matters.”
Kumari told me she regarded the program’s 25th anniversary as a “remarkable milestone.” “For a nonprofit to achieve this kind of proven, replicable track record over that period of time is an exceptional achievement. Now, the goal is to deepen our impact at our current sites,” she added.
AI Will Enable The Program To Scale
In 2024, the CRM software firm Salesforce made a $1 million donation to College Possible to help it scale its student services. That enhancement included the integration of AI technologies into student-coach interactions, making them more seamless and reducing administrative burdens and allowing coaches to concentrate on engaging directly with students.
The use of Coach Possible is expected to increase each coach’s capacity from 60 to as many as 250 students, while still preserving the personalized relationships key to College Possible’s success. Coach Possible will give students access to:
- A one-stop digital portal to track their progress and goals.
- A 30-module learning management system aligned with College Possible’s curriculum.
- 24/7 generative AI support, answering routine questions and giving coaches more time to focus on critical student needs.
- Direct visibility into their coach’s availability for one-on-one sessions, ensuring a consistent human connection.
- Coaching support during summer breaks and college transitions, providing mentorship and guidance when students need it most.
Todays’s students “are balancing studies, family, and sometimes work, and they need answers in real time,” said Scott Del Rossi, vice president of college and career success of College Possible. “Coach Possible doesn’t replace coaches; it equips them to be more effective and more available. That’s the kind of innovation it will take to move the needle on persistence and degree completion.”
“Too many students leave college not because they lack potential, but because the support they need isn’t always available when it matters most,” added Kumari. “Coach Possible is designed to change that. By harnessing AI to extend the reach of our coaches, we’re creating a model of student support that is both scalable and deeply personal—ensuring learners have the guidance they need to persist, graduate, and have meaningful careers.”
