Academic Achievement

• OUR DATA: Our most recent mentee cohort has an average GPA of 3.2.

• WHAT WE DO: At twice-weekly meetings, mentors guide their mentees through college, holding them accountable to complete work; helping them understand university, course, and assignment requirements and policies; and fostering mentees’ development of study, organizational, and social-emotional skills.

• WHY WE DO IT: 93% of our mentees have an expected family contribution of $0, based on their FAFSA reports. Nationally, college students in the lowest 20% of family income have an average freshman GPA of 2.3.

Academic Advising

• OUR DATA: 100% of our alumni meet with advisors every semester, resulting in better management of degree requirements and successful registration every semester.

• WHAT WE DO: Mentees are required to meet with their advisors every semester, as well as have a mid-semester meeting with the Alumni Support Program Manager where they audit their progress toward degree requirements. Additionally, mentors ensure that mentees have higher-quality interactions with their advisors by helping mentees prepare for appointments by looking through course options, making preliminary course selections, and coming up with questions to ask their advisors.

• WHY WE DO IT: On average, only 55% of first-generation college freshmen use academic advising services in their first year, compared to 72% of continuing-generation students. More frequent, higher quality interactions with academic advisors have been correlated with higher academic achievement and retention.

Core Academic Skills

• OUR DATA: 100% of our mentees reported feeling more confident in managing their time and organizational skills due to their mentoring experience.

• WHAT WE DO: For the duration of each semester, mentors participate in weekly trainings focusing on how to teach mentees time management and organizational skills and strategies. These include creating and using calendars and to-do lists; breaking down larger assignments into smaller tasks; and effectively using textbooks, libraries, search engine, and other tools to solve problems.

• WHY WE DO IT: Time-management, organization, self-control, and problem solving skills have all been linked to higher academic achievement.

Providing a Strong Foundation

• OUR DATA: MICR’s mentoring program had 80% retention from Spring to Fall 2024 (last academic year to this academic year), and 95% retention from Fall 2024 to Spring 2025 (last semester to this semester).

• WHAT WE DO — FOUR--YEAR INSTITUTIONS: MICR’s college mentoring takes place for the entirety of mentees’ freshman and sophomore years, providing a strong foundation for students at four-year institutions to succeed.

• WHAT WE DO — TWO--YEAR INSTITUTIONS: For mentees at community colleges, this means that they are able to complete their associates degrees, and if desired, successfully transfer to a four-year institution, all under the guidance of their mentor and MICR staff.

• WHY WE DO IT — FOUR--YEAR INSTITUTIONS: We focus on the first two years because that’s when our alumni are most at risk: studies show that dropping out of college is most common during the first two years.

• WHY WE DO IT — TWO—YEAR INSTITUTIONS: A recent study found that community college students are 10-18% more likely to drop out of college than students at four-year institutions; the researcher recommends mentoring-based interventions which provide access role models, academic and career support, and psychological and emotional support.

$800 Financial Stability Stipend

• OUR DATA: our current mentee cohort has an average GPA of 3.2, while nationally, students from the bottom 20% of family income levels have an average GPA of 2.3.

• WHAT WE DO: Each mentee receives $100 every month during the academic year. Mentees typically use these funds for transportation, tuition payments, necessary academic supplies, or living expenses such as food and phone bills.

• WHY WE DO IT: With 93% of our mentees having an expected family contribution of $0 based on FAFSA reports, the supplementary financial support we provide is crucial to reducing the hours our mentees need to spend working to make ends meet, and increasing the number of hours they can dedicate to their education.

$300 Textbook Assistance Fund

• WHAT WE DO — AFFORDABILITY: MICR purchases up to $150 of textbooks or other necessary class supplies for each mentee each semester.

• WHAT WE DO — ACCESS: Our mentors help their mentees navigate textbook and other academic requirements, resulting in better academic outcomes.

• WHY WE DO IT — AFFORDABILITY: Since the 2000s, textbooks have surged four times inflation rates, with a recent study of over 700 undergraduates showing that 65% reported not buying a required textbook due to cost, and 9% reported having failed a class due to not having been able to purchase the required textbook.

• WHY WE DO IT — ACCESS: First-generation students are more likely to struggle to understand which textbooks are required and how to use them.

$100 Food Security Support

• WHAT WE DO: Our food security support mitigates the impact of food insecurity on our alumni, with each mentee receiving a care package containing $50 worth of food at the start of each semester, including 24 packs of ramen and other bulk, shelf-stable foods.

• WHY WE DO IT: Students with very high levels of food insecurity have an average GPA of 2.97. College students who are food insecure were also 36% less likely to complete their bachelor’s degrees.

Increasing Self-Confidence

• OUR DATA: 98% of our mentees report that their mentor helped them grow as a young adult, and that mentoring helped them feel more confident in navigating life as a young adult.

• WHAT WE DO: Mentors provide relentless support through strong relationships with their mentees. They improve mentees’ confidence by celebrating mentees’ strengths and encouraging them to persevere in the face of failures, including by connecting mentees with resources necessary for that persistence.

• WHY WE DO IT: Academic self-confidence has been shown to be a major contributor to academic performance, with personal characteristics such as strong will and determination shown to contribute positively to first-generation student success.

Social Integration

• OUR DATA — TESTIMONIAL: A mentee reports that what they liked most about mentoring was “talking with my mentor. We don’t only talk about school; we talk about stuff outside school as well.”

• OUR DATA — TESTIMONIAL: Another mentee says, “My sessions were great in helping me to both stay on top of work and encouraging me to engage in events outside of class.”

• WHAT WE DO: Mentors help mentees be better integrated on campus in several ways, such as showing them how to learn about and join student organizations and encouraging them to attend events. Additionally, MICR alumni often attend institutions that previous alumni and/or their mentors attended, meaning that alumni are building and accessing MICR community even when they leave Memphis for school.

• WHY WE DO IT: In a recent study of Black, first generation college students, the majority of the participants described experiencing isolation, social anxiety, and loneliness on campus, especially in their first year.

Developing a Growth Mindset

• OUR DATA — TESTIMONIAL: In response to the question of what their biggest takeaway was from mentoring, a mentee said, “That no matter what I do, I have tried my best and I never gave up. And if I need a break, they will understand and be there, no matter what.”

• OUR DATA — TESTIMONIAL: Another mentee says, “Feeling like I had someone in my corner helps me stay on track.”

• WHAT WE DO: Mentors are trained in researched strategies to improve academic outcomes, including fostering a growth mindset, or the belief that they are capable of learning and growing. Mentors offer personal support for their mentees, being ‘there for them’ in a range of areas and encouraging them to try their best even when they struggle.

• WHY WE DO IT: Students who do not believe they are able to change their successes or failures show reduced adjustment to college and lower GPAs.

• OUR DATA: We have leveraged $1M+ in scholarship support for our alumni.

• WHAT WE DO — PROVIDE FUNDS: Our alumni have earned $170,000+ in scholarships funded directly from MICR.

• WHAT WE DO — APPLICATION SUPPORT: Mentors and MICR staff support mentees through the application processes for numerous scholarships, including both internal, MICR-specific scholarships, as well as external scholarship opportunities.

• WHAT WE DO — ELIGIBILITY MAINTENANCE: Mentors also track scholarship eligibility requirements, helping ensure that mentees fulfill grade, volunteer hour, and other requirements to maintain their scholarship support.

• WHY WE DO IT: A 2024 report showed that ten years after graduation, graduates who were Pell recipients owed nearly twice as much in student loans than those who were not Pell-eligible. 100% of our alumni are Pell recipients, based on their FAFSA-determined financial need.