Central State University is working with Infinite Scholars to bring more students to campus. The university sent an admissions officer to Pennsylvania Oct. 4, 2019, to attend a college fair sponsored by the group.
“I received 180 applications this year, which was way more than we have received from this area at one time,” Admissions Officer Amanda McCombs said.
The Infinite Scholars program is a nonprofit organization founded in 2003 by Thomas “T” Ousley. It works to see that all deserving students have money for college.
“We achieve this through our scholarship fairs which are designed to help high school students learn about scholarship opportunities and other funding options directly from recruiters.” the program explains on its website. “Our Promise Program works with students in elementary, middle, and high school to prepare them to receive the best possible admission and scholarship offers.”
A week after McCombs visited Pennsylvania, about 15 Infinite Scholars came to Central State for a campus tour. “I have given many tours to the Infinite Scholars,” CSU tour guide Raquille Sands said. “Their students are very eager when they are on the tours and always represent the program well. I've never connected with group on a tour like this.”
A Central State freshman came to campus last year as an Infinite Scholar. “I'm excited that the program and Central State are getting more students like my friends and others from the neighborhood that I know,” the young man said.
The first year students said that Infinite Scholars helped him to decide to attend college and not just any college but a historically black university. “What the program did for me was to help me make a better life decision like coming to college,” he said. “I'm so glad they came again this year, because I got the chance to share my experience .”