News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2003

Lumina Foundation launches grassroots initiative with $474,000 to improve college access

INDIANAPOLIS—Lumina Foundation for Education is awarding grants totaling $474,000 to seven organizations from across the country to support college access programs.

These grants are the first issued from Lumina Foundation's McCabe Fund. The McCabe Fund supports organizations that enable students—particularly first-generation college students, low-income students and students of color—to gain access to postsecondary education.

The McCabe Fund provides modest, competitive grants for programs that work directly with students to improve access to postsecondary education. These programs expand successful models or propose new approaches that are ready to be tested in the field. Lumina Foundation invited about 100 organizations from across the country to submit proposals. The McCabe Fund plans to award grants totaling $2 million by March 2003.

"We are optimistic that these grassroots initiatives supported by the McCabe Fund will provide models that help students who need extra support to pursue an education after high school," said Martha D. Lamkin, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation. "These grants assist organizations that directly help students achieve their potential by expanding access to an education beyond high school."

Below are profiles of the seven grant recipients, along with summaries of their college-access initiatives.

Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind Foundation (Talladega, AL): A $74,300 grant to establish a year-round program to improve postsecondary access for students with sensory disabilities.
American Indian Graduate Center (Albuquerque, NM): A $25,000 grant to support the College Horizons "crash course" in preparing Native American high school students for college.
Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ): A $75,000 grant to support the Hispanic Border Leadership Institute's postsecondary preparation program for first-generation Latino students.
Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI), Inc. (Chicago, IL): A $75,000 grant to increase high school graduation and college enrollment rates for minority and low-income students. This grant will help expand ACI's College Readiness program, which provides year-round academic enrichment, personal growth and college campus experience programs.
Community Partners (Los Angeles, CA): A $75,000 grant to support its College Match program, which helps well-qualified, low-income minority students to attend small colleges ranked just below the Ivy League level.
Martin University, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN): A $74,700 grant to provide college access opportunities and skills to Indianapolis minority and low-income students through Martin University's High School College Access Program.
Roxbury Preparatory Charter School Foundation, Inc. (Roxbury, MA): A $75,000 grant to expand its Middle School Aspirations and Pathways to College intervention program, which builds collegiate aspirations and readiness for its minority sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.

The grant program is named for Lumina Foundation's first chairman of the board, Edward McCabe. A distinguished leader in government, law, business and higher education for nearly half a century, McCabe has been deeply interested in making a college education possible for disadvantaged and underserved students. The program will be evaluated, and, if successful, the Foundation may renew it in the future.

Lumina Foundation for Education, a private, independent foundation, strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access and success in education beyond high school. Through research, grants for innovative programs and communication initiatives, Lumina Foundation addresses issues surrounding access and success—particularly among underserved student groups, including adult learners. The Foundation bases its mission on the belief that postsecondary education remains one of the most beneficial investments that individuals can make in themselves and that society can make in its people.

For more information, contact Sara Murray-Plumer, director of communications at (317) 951-5493 or splumer@luminafoundation.org.