Due to the overwhelming response and inquiry, all dates have been pushed back by one week. The new dates are as follows:
Written Responses Distributed: April 9, 2025
Proposal Due Date: April 21, 2025
Proposal Review Period: April 22 – 28, 2025
Anticipated Award Notification: May 2, 2025
The Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation and Detroit Drives Degrees (D3) seek proposals from qualified research institutions, consultants, or firms to conduct a comprehensive developmental evaluation of postsecondary student success factors based on data collected through the Detroit Area Talent Fund application and anticipated qualitative data collection activities. The selected vendor will be responsible for data aggregation, analysis, and reporting, focusing on tracking student persistence and graduation outcomes while identifying key socioeconomic and experiential factors influencing student success. The primary objectives of this project are to:
- Measure critical factors influencing postsecondary student success.
- Track the persistence and graduation rates of grantees through the National Student Clearinghouse database.
- Compare grant recipient outcomes to students from similar demographic backgrounds.
- Expand data collection to include additional metric data, socioeconomic variables, and student perceptions.
- Understand the role of alternative funding sources in meeting student financial needs.
- Provide insights into the holistic impact of the grant on students’ academic and personal well-being.
- Analyze degrees and degree types, especially regarding post-education employment.
- Evaluate the program’s effectiveness in its current state, including, but not limited to, graduation rates matching our 60% goal and the ease of the burden while students are enrolled.
- Share recommendations for future strategy implementation and fund growth.
Background: Comparatively small financial hurdles quickly compound into substantial long-term ramifications for students and the region. When students stop out, they still carry the debt of postsecondary education but do not receive the benefits associated with a credential, such as higher wages and a better quality of life, and it is often, these students most need these benefits. Accordingly, Michigan’s skills gap would not narrow, and the state and region would not realize the economic return communities see when more of their residents attain postsecondary education. The students at highest risk of stopping out are those who attend classes part-time, are low-income, are over 25 years old, and/or identify as BILPOC (Black, Indigenous, Latino, People of Color).To meet Michigan’s goal of 60% postsecondary degree or certificate attainment by 2030, it is essential to adopt a regional approach that meaningfully and holistically addresses the basic needs of our workforce and student population.
The Last Mile Education Fund (Last Mile) provides a novel approach to streamlining real-time cash flow support for postsecondary students facing challenges beyond their control. The Detroit Regional Chamber and Rocket Community Fund have formed a regional partnership with the Last Mile Education Fund to launch the Detroit Area Talent Fund (DATF). The student response was overwhelming, proving that this model is an effective avenue to reach students and shows promise for future development. While the initial pilot launch of the DATF confirmed the demand and need for just-in-time funding, the next phase of the rollout provides the opportunity to collect data and measure the actual effectiveness of the fund. These results will also inform the next steps for wraparound student support and employer engagement. Over two decades of evidence from the MDRC supports this model, confirming that the most effective interventions proven to increase college graduation rates “are multifaceted student support programs, which typically combine a proactive, holistic coaching or advising model with additional financial supports.”
Final proposals are due Monday, April 21, 2025.
If you have any questions, please contact Meghan Schmidbauer at mschmidbauer@detroitchamber.com.