News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2005

2005, first-quarter grants announced

INDIANAPOLIS – In the first three months of 2005, Lumina Foundation for Education awarded nearly $5 million in grants to organizations across the country that will help students – especially the traditionally underserved – gain access to and achieve success in education after high school.

Grants totaling $4,847,615 ranged in size from $8,600 to $1.8 million to fund research, expand a variety of student services, extend influential discussions about legislative policy and replicate successful models that shape educational access and success.

“As more students choose a path to higher education, supporting greater student access and success becomes increasingly challenging,” said Martha D. Lamkin, president and chief executive officer of Lumina Foundation. “The stakes are high for students and for all of society.”

Grants approved by the Foundation in the first quarter of 2005 are listed below and grouped by primary theme areas: postsecondary access, success and adult learners.

Access
Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, PA) – $80,160 to study the fiscal and legal issues associated with tuition discounting, conduct two workshops on the issue and propose alternatives to existing practices.

Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (Indianapolis, IN) – $8,600 to produce a College Goal Sunday video that will promote the event to Indiana students and families. Nationwide, the program helps students and families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (Delaware, OH) – $25,000 to help the College Goal Sunday program in Ohio with 2004 event expenses.

Regents of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) – $769,200 to develop a replicable community action model to address local issues that shape access to and success in higher education. The grant will support the state of Michigan’s effort to double its number of college graduates within the next 10 years through a combination of state polices and grassroots efforts.

University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, TX) – $45,100 to promote Latino student access to and success in higher education by using research findings to inform policy and practice.

Women in Government (Washington, DC) – $114,055 to establish a Legislative Research Center and inform policy makers about access to higher education for women and minorities.

Success
The Brevard College Corporation (Brevard, NC) – $1.8 million to extend the reach of Foundations of Excellence in the First College Year from 400 participating colleges and universities to 1,250 community colleges nationwide. A previous grant to the organization helped establish Foundations of Excellence as a self-study alternative for institutional accreditation by the North Central Association.

Excelencia in Education Inc. (Washington, DC) – $230,000 to support an ongoing study of the impact of institutional leadership on practices that improved Latino student success at Hispanic-serving institutions.

National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (Boulder, CO) – $1,400,500 to build on a pilot project that helps states share student data to improve retention tracking. The grant will fund the Center on State Policy and Student Progression, a central resource to help states understand and shape complex patterns of student progress through postsecondary education.

Adult Learners
Midwestern Higher Education Compact (Minneapolis, MN) – $300,000 to convene state legislators, governors, educators and business leaders from 10 Midwestern states to explore ways to link adult education programs with both workforce development and economic development.

Special Grants
Independent Sector (Washington, DC) – $75,000 to help convene an independent panel of experts that will consider and recommend actions to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee regarding the ethics and governance practices of the nonprofit sector.

About Lumina Foundation
Lumina Foundation for Education, an Indianapolis-based, private, independent foundation, strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access and success in education beyond high school. Through grants for research, innovation, communication, and evaluation, as well as policy education and leadership development, Lumina Foundation addresses issues that affect access and educational attainment among all students, particularly 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.