College Now Greater Cleveland

What College Now Greater Cleveland does

College Now Greater Cleveland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1967 as the Cleveland Scholarship Program and renamed in 2012 to reflect its expanded scope. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio with a regional Resource Center in Akron, it is the nation's first college access organization and self-described largest comprehensive college access and completion nonprofit. The organization delivers integrated college and career advising, financial aid counseling, scholarship administration, mentoring, student loan borrower support, and adult learner services. School-based advisors are embedded in 90+ middle and high schools across Northeast Ohio, complemented by on-campus success coaches at Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland State University, and the Cuyahoga County Debt Repayment Program. The organization also operates federally funded TRIO programs (GEAR UP, Upward Bound, Talent Search) and serves approximately 42,000 individuals annually, administering roughly $9.6 million in scholarships each year to about 3,400 recipients and $121 million cumulatively since inception.

The organization's revenue model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack rather than a commercial pricing structure: all services are free to students and families. Funding comes from individual donations (one-time, recurring, round-up via Harness, stock, IRA, estate gifts), foundation and corporate grants (Cleveland Foundation, Deaconess, ECMC, Gund, KeyBank, Sherwin-Williams), and government grants (U.S. Department of Education TRIO programs, Ohio Department of Higher Education, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County). The technology footprint is light and vendor-based — Chronus for mentoring, Microsoft Forms for program registration, Harness for round-up donations, and Double the Donation for employer matching — with no proprietary platform or AI/ML capabilities disclosed.

The go-to-market model is event- and relationship-driven, built on long-standing partnerships rather than paid distribution channels. Growth indicators include expansion into Summit County, the launch of adult learner and student loan support services, a 2022 five-year strategic roadmap shaped by 1,300+ stakeholders, and active policy engagement with the Greater Cleveland Partnership. Outcomes are quantified through mentored student continuation (96%) and on-time graduation (64%) rates, and the student loan restructuring program has reportedly saved participants approximately $179 million over ten years.

Name

College Now Greater Cleveland

Legal name

College Now Greater Cleveland

Website

https://collegenowgc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Access Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

College & Career Counseling (Admissions, Scholarships, Pathways) (EDAJALAE), Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support (EDAMAKAF), College Readiness & Admissions Prep Centers (Small-Group Workshops) (EDANAHAI), Academic Support & Learning Assistance (Tutoring Centers) (EDALABAF)

Keywords

• College access advising
• Scholarship administration
• Financial aid counseling
• College retention mentoring
• Higher education support

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: College Now accepts one-time donations, monthly recurring gifts, and round-up donations through a partnership with Harness. Donors can also make gifts by check, stock transfers, IRA distributions, donor advised funds, and legacy/estate gifts.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: The organization receives funding from lead funders including Cleveland Foundation, Deaconess Foundation, ECMC Foundation, Gund Foundation, KeyBank, Sherwin-Williams, and government entities including Ohio Department of Workforce & Education, Ohio Department of Higher Education, and U.S. Department of Education.
3. Government Funding: Federal TRIO programs (GEAR UP, Upward Bound, Talent Search) and other government grants from City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and U.S. Department of Education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

College Now Greater Cleveland provides free college and career advising, financial aid counseling, scholarship administration, and student retention/mentoring services to students and families in Northeast Ohio. Its school-based advisors operate in over 90 middle and high schools, supplementing delivery through Resource Centers in Cleveland and Akron, on-campus success coaches, and a network of 18+ higher education partners. Programs include TRIO initiatives (GEAR UP, Upward Bound, Talent Search), test prep (impact!, ACT/SAT Bootcamp), career exploration (Xplore), and student loan borrower support.

Product overview

College Now Greater Cleveland is a nonprofit higher education access and completion organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs and services. Founded in 1967 as the nation's first college access organization (originally Cleveland Scholarship Program), it provides integrated college and career advising, financial aid counseling, scholarships, and retention programs. The organization operates core service lines including advising in over 90 schools, financial aid counseling, a scholarships program distributing approximately $9.6 million annually, and retention programs with mentoring. Its program portfolio includes TRIO programs (GEAR UP, Upward Bound, Talent Search), test preparation (impact!, ACT/SAT Bootcamp), career exploration (Xplore), the selective Cleveland Foundation/College Now Top Scholars program, adult learner services (LAUNCH workshops, Cuyahoga County Debt Repayment Program), student loan borrower support, summer programs (Summer impact!, Summer College Tour Series), and the Say Yes Scholars partnership with Tri-C. The organization serves more than 42,000 individuals annually across Northeast Ohio through school-based advisors, resource centers in Cleveland and Akron, and community partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College and Career Advising One-on-one college and career advising delivered by College Now advisors embedded in more than 90 middle and high schools across Northeast Ohio; covers college essays, applications, test prep, and financial aid navigation for high school students and families.
• Financial Aid Counseling Comprehensive financial aid counseling covering FAFSA completion, Pell Grant eligibility, financial aid package comparison, and award letter interpretation for students and families.
• Scholarships Program Administers traditional and adult learner scholarships distributing approximately $9.6 million annually to over 3,400 individuals, including the College Now Traditional Scholarship, College Now Adult Learner Scholarship, Cleveland Foundation/College Now Top Scholars, and 100+ named community/foundation scholarships.
• Retention Programs Retention support services for enrolled college students including mentoring, success coaching, and completion strategies to help students navigate higher education and graduate on time.
• GEAR UP Federally funded GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) services beginning in middle school, including academic support, college and career exploration, and financial aid guidance. Currently operated at Cleveland Heights High School and Clearview High School in Lorain.
• Upward Bound Federally funded TRIO program providing academic support, college and career guidance, tutoring, test prep, and immersive summer college-campus experiences for first-generation and income-eligible students; served at Normandy, Shaw, Valley Forge, and Warrensville Heights High Schools.
• Talent Search Federally funded TRIO program offering personalized college and career advising, academic support, and higher education exploration for income-eligible and first-generation students in grades 6-12, serving approximately 500 students across multiple schools.
• impact! Test Prep Program After-school and summer program offering ACT and SAT preparation and college and career readiness; core math and reading instruction, test-taking strategy, and enrichment activities with a $400 stipend for summer completion.
• Xplore Career Exploration Interactive after-school and summer program where students explore future careers and prepare for college success through hands-on projects and discussions across meta-majors including creative fields, STEM, business, and finance.
• Cleveland Foundation/College Now Top Scholars Selective college advising initiative supporting top-achieving CMSD students since 2012, with one-on-one guidance for college applications, financial aid, and enrollment plus a summer retreat and overnight college tour; requires minimum 3.5 GPA and SAT 1100+ or ACT 22+.
• LAUNCH Workshop Series for Adults Free 6-week in-person workshop series for adult learners preparing for college, training, or a new career; covers career goal exploration, program selection, financial aid understanding, and application/enrollment processes with a digital completion badge.
• Mentoring Program Virtual mentoring program pairing scholarship recipients with college-educated volunteer mentors; mentors and students connect at least twice monthly and meet in person at least three times yearly; 96% of mentored students continue from first to second year of college.
• Say Yes Scholars Program @ Tri-C Partnership with Say Yes Cleveland supporting Cuyahoga Community College students with on-campus success coaches offering personalized academic, campus life, and personal wellness guidance; coached students are 60% more likely to continue studies and 70% more likely to graduate.
• Student Loan Borrower Support Free one-on-one support for student loan borrowers covering repayment options, forgiveness programs, consolidation, restructuring, and loan rehabilitation, including guidance to avoid wage and tax refund garnishment.
• Cuyahoga County Debt Repayment Program Program allowing eligible Cuyahoga County residents to qualify for payment of up to $2,000 toward institutional debt to return to Tri-C or Cleveland State University; requires one-year county residency, one-semester stop-out, Pell Grant eligibility, and prior institutional debt at Tri-C or CSU.
• Summer impact! Free one-week summer experience at Mansfield Senior High School offering five separate sessions with hands-on activities, workshops, assessments, and field trips; students can earn up to $100 per week for the 5-week session upon attendance and meeting program expectations.
• ACT/SAT Bootcamp Summer boot camps providing students with test-taking tools and strategies for ACT and SAT exams through focused sessions to sharpen skills and prepare for test day; hosted at public libraries including Maple Heights Library and Parma Powers Library.
• Summer College Tour Series Partnership with CMSD providing free college tours across Ohio including Cleveland State University, University of Akron, Toledo/BGSU, and Central State/Wilberforce, designed to help students explore academic programs and experience campus life.
• Transition 2 College Workshop covering everything students need to feel confident and prepared for college life, including final to-dos, helpful tips, and insider advice before move-in day.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of mentored students continue from first to second year of college
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Cleveland FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead funder and strategic partner administering over 60 scholarships through College Now. The Cleveland Foundation/College Now Top Scholars program has supported top-achieving CMSD students since 2012.
• Say Yes ClevelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing scholarship funding and support. Includes the Tri-C Scholars program (launched 2019) pairing Say Yes scholarship recipients with on-campus success coaches at Cuyahoga Community College.
• Greater Cleveland PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional chamber of commerce partnership convening policymakers and business community around workforce development and college access issues. Hosted legislative briefing on April 24, 2026.
• Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead higher education partner. Tri-C Scholars program provides on-campus success coaching for Say Yes Cleveland scholarship recipients, with 60% higher continuation and 70% higher graduation rates for coached students.
• Cleveland State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead higher education partner. Cuyahoga County Debt Repayment Program eligibility includes returning to CSU with up to $2,000 in institutional debt covered.
• Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary K-12 partner with advisors in numerous CMSD schools. Partnership on 'My Future Starts Here: Pathways to College and Career Success' launched April 8, 2026, and summer college tour series.
• Case Western Reserve UniversitysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigher education partner where Top Scholars have been admitted, including alumni like Alexis Crosby who went on to career at Fair Elections Center.
• University of AkronsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigher education partner hosting College Now resource center and summer college tours. President R.J. Nemer participated in City Club discussion.
• Cleveland Public LibrarysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner hosting ACT/SAT bootcamps and workshops at library locations.
• OhioMeansJobssecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState workforce agency partnership providing adult learner services at OhioMeansJobs Summit County location.
• City Club of ClevelandsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted College Now president Dr. Michele Scott Taylor for 'Making the Case for College' discussion alongside Timothy Fields and University of Akron President.
• Rock & Roll Hall of FameminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner hosting Xplore the Music Industry program providing career exploration through behind-the-scenes access and mentorship.
• Baldwin Wallace UniversitysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigher education partner in College Now's network of 18+ colleges and universities for student placements and college tours.
• Bowling Green State UniversitysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigher education partner in College Now's network for student placements and college tours.
• The Ohio State UniversitysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigher education partner where Top Scholars have been admitted. Included in destination colleges for summer college tour series.
• Central State UniversitysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHBCU partner and summer college tour destination. Alumni Trevon Edwards graduated from Central State and now serves as College Now mentor.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bottom Line: National nonprofit providing one-on-one college access and degree-completion advising to first-generation, low-income students, mirroring College Now's advising-plus-retention model.
• College Possible: Nonprofit delivering near-peer coaching for college admission and persistence to underserved students, directly comparable to College Now's access and completion services.
• uAspire: Nonprofit specializing in college affordability, financial aid, and FAFSA advising, overlapping strongly with College Now's financial aid counseling and scholarship support.
• OneGoal: School-embedded college access and persistence program for under-resourced students, comparable to College Now's in-school advising approach.
• College Advising Corps: Places near-peer advisors in high schools to boost college enrollment, closely matching College Now's school-based advisor distribution model.
• ScholarMatch: Nonprofit combining scholarships with college advising and persistence support, paralleling College Now's scholarship plus completion focus.
• iMentor: Pairs students with volunteer mentors to support college readiness and success, comparable to College Now's mentoring program.

Broad incumbents

• Say Yes to Education: National scholarship and student-support organization (and a College Now partner via Say Yes Cleveland) operating a similar place-based access-and-completion model across multiple cities.

Emerging players

• Braven: Nonprofit focused on college-to-career readiness for first-generation students, overlapping with College Now's career-exploration and completion mission.

Others

• Year Up: Workforce-development nonprofit serving young adults; adjacent to College Now's adult-learner and career-pathway services though oriented toward job placement rather than college access.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CollegeNowGC
• Facebookfacebook.com/collegenow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/college-now-greater-cleveland
• Instagraminstagram.com/college_nowgc
• TikToktiktok.com/@collegenowgc
• Xx.com/CollegeNowGC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about College Now Greater Cleveland