Octavius Catto Scholarship: transforming lives through education

The Octavius Catto Scholarship embodies the central themes of Community College of Philadelphia’s mission: access, opportunity and student success. The Catto Scholarship will ensure access and opportunity for more Philadelphians than ever, but their success as students is what’s most important.

Student success is not limited to college admission. Summative success will be defined by the number of graduates in the job market making livable wages and the number of graduates who transfer to one of the great colleges or universities in the Philadelphia area. It will further be defined by the number of students able to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. To achieve success, students will be supported by dedicated faculty, advisers, counselors and innovative curricula.

The Octavius Catto Scholarship reflects and extends the long history of this nation’s willingness to invest in education as a means for addressing burgeoning societal needs. Public policy has consistently made it possible to expand the opportunities for a college education in response to national needs.