The KEYS to Help Students Succeed

Jayson Massey

February 23, 2024

The KEYS program is a way to help underserved students finish community college and graduate to higher paying careers.  It started in 2004 and over 1,000 students use the program to help them stay in school so they can learn the skills they need to graduate and find a new vocation.  I will be discussing my experience with the program, the benefits of KEYS, qualifications for the programs, and how to start using the KEYS program. 

I saw a flyer in the Mint Building after a Vanguard meeting for KEYS.  Right now, I am a poor college student-and getting any additional benefits would be a real help.   I responded to the flyer and signed up for the orientation.  I did have to do a little paperwork because this is a government program.  Then I went to the orientation and got the information about how the program operates – you review your academic progress and goals with a facilitator once a month.   

The KEYS program offers access to several programs.  I use the transportation program to get a monthly TransPass.  I buy the TransPass from SEPTA and get the cash back on my ACCESS card.  Know up front that you must document your activities, or you will get your benefits revoked. I must send receipts to the County Assistance Office to prove that I purchased them.  The upside is that I get to go back and forth to school for no cost. 

If you are attending or planning to attend a Pennsylvania Community College, the KEYS program can help you achieve your educational goals.  The Keystone Education Yields Success (KEYS) program works to help at-risk students succeed by helping them with additional financial needs, like transportation, childcare, and books.   KEYS monitors academic performance. Students can get hooked up with needed services, like tutoring and County Assistance Office benefits.  KEYS works with students on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP).  Once enrolled into KEYS, students meet regularly with KEYS student facilitator.  The aim is to achieve student scholastic goals. 

I spoke to Ms. Gail B. Woods, a Student Facilitator for the KEYS Program at CCP, about the program, the students they help, the best part of her job, and for advice for struggling students. Generally, KEYS provide services for students to stay in compliance with their academic goals, so they can finish their classes and focus on studying.  To do that, they provide resources to get over barriers by using their vocational education as their main work activity for 24 months. 

Unfortunately, students have issues with transportation, or trauma like homelessness and domestic violence. These barriers prevent students from graduating and getting higher paying vocations. Benefits like transportation are popular with students because they defray out-of-pocket expenses. Ms. Woods said “that’s the plus part of it.” 

The best part of Ms. Woods’ job is the students. It is the most rewarding part and it’s what gets her up in the morning. KEYS students are serious students that need support. And when they get the support, they move onto a four-year college. Students that are in KEYS that are struggling academically have several additional things they can do to get back on track.  

First, be involved in the college and be in the college atmosphere. Academic struggles can be due to a poor study environment. Instead of studying at home, study at the CCP library or the Free Library of Philadelphia. Second, avoid negative and unsupportive environments. Find people on the same mission as you. The people at home or other places students may not be studying or want to get a higher paying career. Students must choose wisely. Third, get connected to great academic resources like tutoring, librarians, and professors. Fourth, investigate your major to find work study opportunities and study groups.  

Fifth, reading is important. Many students have reading comprehension struggles. This may be because of a noisy and distracting study environment or simply a lack of practice reading for college success. It is different than reading for pleasure. Harvard University’s Academic Resource Center has even more tips on reading.   

Read with a goal in mind to focus on absorbing the right information. Follow SQ3R – Survey, Question, Read, Recite and Review. Scan the headings, images, graphs, review or ask questions, introduction, and conclusion. Write down questions that come up, then as you read, answer those questions and any review or practice questions. After you’re done reading, ask yourself questions and summarize the reading. Lastly, review the questions and answers for the reading. Next, realize that textbooks can be a resource. Learn how to use them best and ask faculty for help in how utilize textbooks. A final tip is to make notes in the margins. 

The KEYS program provides a number of helpful benefits, including assistance with books and supplies, transportation, childcare, and college and community resource information.  If you are receiving cash assistance and/or food stamps from the County Assistance Office and enrolled at the College, you may be eligible for KEYS.  If you are interested in enrolling in KEYS, call 215-751-8025, complete a program referral form, or visit them in the Mint Building, Room M1-24.