Quad Learning announces $10M in Series B funding to expand its community college-based program that leverages the “2+2” model to help students earn a top bachelor’s degree at a fraction of the cost.
In collaboration with Quad Learning, community colleges across the country are offering a two-year rigorous honors program that prepares students to successfully complete their degree at the most prestigious universities. Today, the program known as American Honors is offered at five community colleges and participants have access to a national network of over 30 public and private four-year universities who are interested in admitting American Honors graduates.
“This new round of funding reinforces our commitment to increasing the number of affordable college options for highly-motivated students,” said Quad Learning CEO Phil Bronner. “Across the country, families of all economic backgrounds are worried about how they will be able to pay for college. The American Honors pathway provides new hope.”
In a time of restrained state budgets, Quad Learning provides community colleges with the additional resources to ensure that students can successfully transfer to a university and complete their degree on time. Resources include individualized student advising, instructional design support for faculty, a cutting-edge student learning platform, and access to the first national transfer network of public and private universities.
“Rising college costs are making it more difficult for the typical American family to send their student to a top college,” said Joe Del Guercio of CNF Investments. “Through the American Honors program, Quad Learning is helping community colleges develop rigorous programs and support that make it possible for students to achieve a bachelor’s degree from the nation’s leading universities. I’m honored to join the board of such a mission-focused organization like Quad Learning.”
Five community colleges currently serve students from the US as well as 15 countries and will serve a total of 1,000 students in Fall 2014. American Honors program graduates have been accepted to Stanford, Cornell, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Michigan, USC, Rutgers, Purdue, Reed, Occidental, and many other top universities, and have received significant financial scholarships to complete the last two years of their degree.
MentorTech Ventures and ECMC Group join existing investors SWaN & Legend Fund, New Atlantic Ventures, CNF Investments, New Enterprise Associates, TDF Ventures, New Markets Education Partners, and Comcast Ventures. Joe Del Guercio of CNF Investments is joining Quad Learning’s board.
Quad Learning is a venture-backed startup that collaborates with leading community colleges to jointly develop and deliver American Honors, a competitive 2-year honors program designed for high ability students who plan to complete the remainder of their bachelor’s degree at a top-tier college or university. For more information about the American Honors program, visit https://americanhonors.org.