News Release
May 25, 2004
National partnership to benefit low-income students
College Goal Sunday to expand to 35 states in next three yearsINDIANAPOLIS — Lumina Foundation for Education has teamed up with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) to expand a successful program that helps low-income families apply for college financial aid.
Lumina Foundation’s Board of Directors has approved an allocation of $3.5 million, which will pave the way for College Goal Sunday to expand to 15 more states, broadening the reach of the popular program to a total of 35 states and the District of Columbia by the end of 2007.
The $3.5 million investment will support a series of grants to bring on the 15 new states and support a national partnership to manage the daily operations of the program so that it can be effectively expanded at a more rapid pace.
NASFAA is an ideal partner, according to Lumina Foundation President and CEO Martha D. Lamkin. “We are delighted that NASFAA, whose members help students with college financial aid, stepped up and agreed to take on this challenge,” said Lamkin.
"We are very pleased to have been selected by the Foundation to help run and expand this program," said NASFAA President Dallas Martin. "This project truly strengthens NASFAA's theme of opening doors of educational opportunity. In an era of steadily increasing college costs, we must continue to spread the word that financial aid is available, and we must do everything we can to help students through the sometimes overwhelming financial aid application process."
“Together, we hope to make College Goal Sunday an effective, national initiative that will help thousands of low-income students achieve their dream of a college education,” said Lamkin.
Over the past 15 years, College Goal Sunday has already helped more than 100,000 low-income students clear the paperwork hurdle when applying for college financial aid. One day each year, traditionally a week or two after Super Bowl Sunday, financial aid administrators and other qualified volunteers fan out to selected community sites across a state to help families fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the universally required financial aid form.
“College Goal Sunday provides an important service for many qualified, low-income students who need more information about the availability of financial aid and expert assistance in filling out the required paperwork,” said Lamkin. “This assistance may sound simple, but without additional help, many students miss this necessary first step to an education beyond high school.”
“At a time when college costs are a national concern, we looked at this as an opportunity to broaden the reach of a program with a proven track record for helping low-income students,” said Lamkin.
As a prelude to College Goal Sunday, the organizers of each state’s program launch an extensive public information campaign to reach low-income students. Campaigns use the news media, direct mail and celebrity appearances at key high schools to inform the public about the importance of an education beyond high school, the availability of financial aid and the existence of College Goal Sunday to help them complete the FAFSA.
The Foundation provides three forms of aid to College Goal Sunday programs: technical assistance, exploratory grants and implementation grants. Interested organizations begin with an exploratory grant of up to $7,500 to investigate the feasibility of hosting College Goal Sunday in their states. After a successful planning phase, organizations may apply for an implementation grant. Lumina Foundation contributes up to $250,000 over a three-year period to eligible groups working to establish the College Goal Sunday program in their states.
The amount of each grant depends on the size of the population to be served, the scope of the proposed program, and the availability of local funding to supplement the Lumina Foundation grant. NAFSAA’s role has been critical in the individual states to bring together the financial aid community to help families apply for financial aid.
By the end of 2004, the College Goal Sunday program will have committed $7 million to fund planning and implementation grants in 35 states and the District of Columbia. The program is currently operating in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, plus the District of Columbia.
College Goal Sunday has proven effective in Indiana for more than a decade. The program began in 1989 as a joint project of the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA) and the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI) with funding from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. Over the past 20 years, Lumina Foundation and its predecessor organizations have co-funded the Indiana programs and led the expansion in other states.
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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 research, grants for innovative programs and communication initiatives, Lumina Foundation addresses issues surrounding financial access and educational retention, and degree or certificate attainment — 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.
About The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit membership organization that represents more than 10,000 financial aid professionals at nearly 3,000 colleges, universities, and career schools across the country. Based in Washington, D.C., NASFAA is the only national association with a primary focus on student aid legislation, regulatory analysis, and training for financial aid administrators. Each year, members help more than 8 million students receive funding for postsecondary education. In addition to its Member Web site at www.NASFAA.org, the Association offers a Web site with financial aid information for parents and students at www.StudentAid.org.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Dollyne Sherman (317.951.5493)
dsherman@luminafoundation.org
Mindy Kaplan Eline (202.785.0453, x116)
elinemk@nasfaa.org
