Metropolitan College was created to induce United Parcel Service (UPS) not to close its hub operation in Louisville, Kentucky. Participants in the program work the third shift at UPS and attend one of three local colleges tuition-free. Stakeholders agree that Metropolitan College has accomplished the goals laid out at its inception. This article evaluates the effects of the program from the perspective of one of the participating colleges. A cohort of Metropolitan College students enrolled at the University of Louisville is compared with traditional students at the institution. Inferences are made regarding the effect of Metropolitan College on key university “quality” indicators, including retention and academic performance. This article also assesses Metropolitan College from the perspective of human capital development. It tests the assertion that the program contributes to human capital development by accessing a cohort of students with different sociodemographic characteristics from those typically found at the University of Louisville.
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