The Come to Believe Model

The Come to Believe model is a degree-granting, two-year college program designed to exist within a four-year college or university. The CTB model is specifically designed to serve high potential, low-income students who are underrepresented on the campuses of selective colleges, and provide them with the supports they need to excel and graduate on-time. In doing so, the model provides students with both a valuable credential—an associate degree—and a clear pathway to a bachelor’s degree. CTB’s innovative model was established at Arrupe College on the campus of Loyola University Chicago in 2014 by Fr. Steve Katsouros, SJ, the President/CEO of CTB. It has since been replicated at Dougherty Family College, hosted by the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Guiding Principles

  • Local Impact

    We believe selective colleges and universities have a duty to serve their surrounding communities, but that this duty has often gone neglected.

    Our model represents a sustained investment in the local community with concrete, long-term benefits, thereby initiating a virtuous cycle.

  • Diverse Population

    We believe students from low-wealth backgrounds offer tremendous assets to campus communities when provided with the opportunities they deserve.

    Our model provides a talent pipeline of diverse students who transform host universities for the better.

  • Access + Success

    We believe true equity in higher ed requires both widespread access to a rigorous, high-quality education AND providing the supports necessary to succeed.

    Our model is backwards planned with student success in mind, ensuring our outcomes match up with our ideals.

Model Components

  • An Focus on Affordability

    By leveraging federal and state aid alongside private fundraising, the model minimizes costs for students, allowing them to avoid loans.

  • Rigorous Coursework

    The coursework is designed to be equivalent in rigor to the first two years at the host institution’s other undergraduate units, rather than remediation.

  • Community & Belonging

    The model is set up to foster a tight-knit community where students strengths and capabilities are nurtured and supported, rather than neglected.

  • Wrap-Around Services

    Staffing and on-campus resources are aligned to research findings on barriers to college completion—mental health, food insecurity, and more.

  • Learning and Earning

    From class schedules to on-campus career services, the model is set up so students don’t have to choose between earning a degree and earning an income.

  • Transfer Pathways

    Via articulation agreements, advising, and transfer counseling, students are provided with the support to facilitate successful transfer to four-year programs.

  • Valuable Credentials

    Coursework and degree offerings are backwards planned to ensure all students graduate with credential(s) that provide a clear return on investment.

  • Post-Grad Support

    Dedicated staff ensure alumni have the support they need to succeed after they graduate, from four-year campuses to the workforce.

Superior Results

  • National Outlier Graduation Rates

    CTB colleges boast two-year graduation rates at three to five times the national average.

  • Little to No Debt Burden for Graduates

    90% of students avoid taking out any loans, compared to a national average of $31,000 per borrower.

  • Post-Graduation Success

    80%+ of alumni matriculate to bachelor’s programs, with 70% graduating within 5 years.