Students from participating districts are selected at the beginning of their junior year. They are required to fulfill criteria focusing on academics, community service, and extracurricular activities during their junior and senior year. "Stay 4" makes students aware of educational opportunities through field trips to area colleges, and connect students with advisers who assist them in finding the necessary financial aid and scholarships for college. 
 
This unique program plays a major role in addressing an unmet need and helps assist students through their critical first year which can determine long term success or failure. More than 400 students have been a part of the "Stay 4" Project and 97% of them have graduated from high school; most the first in their families to do so, and nearly all are first generation college students.
 
More than 200 of these students have continued their education, been a part of their University's Honors Programs, and have received both graduate and undergraduate degrees from 35+ colleges.