Invest in Success

An inspiring evening that celebrated student achievement while investing in the future of higher education across Northeast Ohio.

Honoring our Legacy. Celebrating our Community.

For six decades, College Now has helped make educational opportunity more accessible across Northeast Ohio. Today, we serve more than 42,000 individuals each year, connecting students and families with advising, scholarships, mentoring, coaching and other resources to help them navigate life after high school and pursue pathways to success. Since 1967, College Now has distributed $121 million in scholarships, including $9.6 million to 3,400 students this year alone.

As we celebrate this milestone, we are proud to honor Benesch; former College Now Board of Directors chairs Howard Steindler, David Inglis, Bill Koehler, Alan Kopit, Mark Ross and Mike Cogan; our dedicated College Now team; our alumni; and Jimmy Malone for their lasting contributions to College Now and the students we serve.

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The 2026 Invest in Success was an evening to recognize the people who have shaped College Now. The leaders who founded Cleveland Scholarship Programs in 1967 laid the groundwork for the work we do today, and the students and graduates at the heart of our mission continue to shape our future.

Founder’s Perspective

In 1966, a visionary leader, Robert Coplan, an attorney at Benesch law firm, recognized that giving college scholarships to high school graduates alone was not enough. Students needed advising, encouragement and support throughout the journey to college. Mr. Coplan’s daughter provides her perspective.

A First Advisor

For six decades, College Now advisors have guided students of all ages through uncertainty; they’ve celebrated their successes, and remained at their side to get students to and through college. Elinor Polster, a college and career advisor in 1967, recalls her work with students.