Race to Victory:
A 2008-2009 Report of the Rising Star Program

Dallas County Community College District’s internationally recognized Rising Star Program enters its 10th year of providing financial assistance for a free college education to eligible graduating high school seniors in Dallas County. In 1999, Rising Star was created to stem the tide of high school graduates unable to go to college due to lack of finances.

Rising Star provides scholarships of up to $4,000 for tuition and books for a maximum of three years to Dallas County high school seniors who graduate with a “B” average or better or have passed the required college assessment test and show economic need.

Through Rising Star, scholarship recipients have:

• Earned associate degrees.
• Become certified in one of more than 100 different occupational training and/or career programs.
• Earned the necessary credits to transfer to a four-year college.
• Received fast-track job training.

Rising Star highlights:

• A total of 9,991 Rising Star students have enrolled in DCCCD since the program’s inception.
• Based on the standard method of tracking the completion and persistence of college students over a six-year period, Rising Star students have performed equal to or better than their peers. Of the 767 Rising Star students who enrolled their first year in fall 2002, 63 percent have graduated with a degree or certificate, have transferred or are still enrolled in the DCCCD.
• A total of 2,910 Rising Star students enrolled in Fall 2008. Ninety six (96) percent are ethnically diverse with high financial need.
• Rising Star is known around the world. Through the Carnegie Corporation and Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) program, Rising Star serves as a model scholarship program in seven countries throughout Africa, as well as the United Kingdom, Canada and the rest of the United States.