Greenville Tech program aims to improve minority retention.

Greenville Technical College has launched an initiative designed to increase academic success rates. The African American Male Scholars Initiative provides intensive case management and personalized support services that help participants overcome barriers, develop academic and career pathway so they can graduate on time, according to a news release.

A year-long study found that African American males at the college had a retention rate of only 43% compared to 56% for white students, the news release said. The on-time completion rate for African American males was half that of all males at only 7%.

Greenville Tech has created this initiative to change college success rates and make economic mobility possible, the release said.

The program was started with seed money provided by the Graham Foundation and the Jolley Foundation. The program furthers the Graham Foundation's value of supporting equity of opportunity and the Jolley Foundation's mission of advancing efforts to eliminate the root causes and effects of poverty and discrimination, the release said.

"With the help of the Graham Foundation and the Jolley Foundation, we can address an...