Nearly seven years ago the Lansing Police Department unveiled its H.O.P.E. Scholarship Program, which stands for "helping other people excel," to help Lansing students build a college career; so how many students secured a spot in class this fall?

"We have close to 200 that have done some part of our admissions process, and 150 that have completed the entire process and they're ready to start August 21," said Toni Glasscoe of Lansing Community College.

As for the other 300 sixth grade scholars that began the program seven years ago; some of them just weren't able to make the grade.

"We have a few, a small percentage that have dropped out; we have smaller percentage that did not graduate with their graduating class," Glasscoe said.

But Glasscoe says they've since made several adjustments to ensure that each and every student is given optimal time and attention to excel.

"We've made some adjustments, our high school students will come during the school year so that we can focus on our 10th,11th and 12th graders; start the enrollment process earlier," Glasscoe said.

Not only are hundreds of the original H.O.P.E. scholars eligible to start at Lansing Community College in the fall, but many also graduated at the top of the class.

"We have a valedictorian and eight of our top H.O.P.E. scholars had grade point averages in excess of 3.9, so we were tremendously proud and pleased," said Lansing Schools Superintendent Dr. T.C. Wallace, Jr.

And organizers say they're keeping hope alive that the current scholars will follow in their footsteps.