News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2003

Lumina Foundation announces nearly $3 million in grants to improve college access and success

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation for Education has announced 15 grants totaling $2,747,500 to expand college access and student success nationwide. The grants were approved in the second quarter of 2003.

"As our recent grant activity demonstrates, improving college access and success is a complex undertaking," said Martha D. Lamkin, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation. "Schools, communities, businesses, government and philanthropies must work together to find new solutions and help more students achieve their potential through an education beyond high school."

Grants approved by Lumina Foundation in the second quarter of 2003 are listed below, grouped by the Foundation's primary theme areas.

Access

Many financial and nonfinancial factors inhibit college access. The following grants address some of these barriers:

Midwestern Higher Education Commission (Minneapolis, MN) — A $55,200 grant to set the stage for improved public policy understanding in the 10 states served by the Midwestern Higher Education Commission.

New England Foundation for the Arts (Boston, MA) — A $401,700 grant to support a national public engagement campaign and community outreach initiative to raise awareness and provide resources to increase college access for low-income and first-generation students. This project will be launched in conjunction with a three-hour documentary television series that will air nationally on PBS in early 2004.

Women in Government (Washington, D.C.) — A $97,000 grant to assist state policy-makers in understanding current issues of access to postsecondary education by creating a task force of 12 legislative leaders and conducting a workshop on access issues.

McCabe Fund — The five grants listed below were awarded as part of the McCabe Fund. This initiative 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. Grant proposals for this initiative are accepted by invitation only and span two years.

Consortium of Universities (Washington, D.C.) — A $75,000 grant to develop a parent workshop series that includes basic financial literacy and early college planning.

Emmanuel Gospel Center, Inc. (Boston, MA) — A $75,000 grant to develop the skills and motivation of underrepresented students to successfully enter and complete college.

On Point for College, Inc. (Syracuse, NY) — A $75,000 grant to provide higher education access for low-income and academically challenged youth through direct support services at inner-city neighborhood centers.

Trinity College (Hartford, CT) — A $75,000 grant to enhance pre-college access tutoring and academic awareness to coincide with the requirements of Hartford Public Schools' curriculum.
Villages of Indiana, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN) — A $42,600 grant to expand the services provided to foster care youth to include awareness and preparation for postsecondary education.

Student Success/Attainment

Once in college, many students confront stumbling blocks that inhibit them from reaching their educational goals. The following grants address issues regarding student persistence and goal attainment.

Council of Independent Colleges (Washington, D.C.) — An $18,000 grant to convene officials from private colleges that successfully attract and graduate low-income students, identify best practices that can be shared with other institutions and plan for a consortium of colleges that serve low-income students.

National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (Silver Spring, MD) — A $315,000 grant to create a leadership training and support program for academic and student services administrators at historically black colleges to work together to improve student graduation.

National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (Boulder, CO) - A $268,000 grant to conduct a pilot program that will test the feasibility of a voluntary, interstate system to track students' progress and improve record keeping on the educational attainment of mobile students.

Community College Initiative

Community colleges serve the highest concentration of historically underserved students, who are more at risk of dropping out of school. Lumina Foundation places special emphasis on student success at community colleges. The following grant is part of the Foundation's Community College Student Success initiative.

Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (New York, NY) - A $1.2 million grant to increase adult student success and persistence by testing innovative financial aid and student support service programs at selected community colleges.

Indiana-focused Initiatives

As an Indiana-based foundation, Lumina Foundation sets aside a modest portion of its grant money each year to fund projects that are specific to its home state. Most of these grants are focused on the Foundation's education mission; a relatively modest number support charitable civic participation.

Advancing Academic Excellence — The two grants listed below were awarded as part of Advancing Academic Excellence. This program aims to provide more Indianapolis students with the opportunity to jump-start their college experience by taking college-level courses in high school. The Foundation invited all Marion County public high schools to participate in this program. A total of 13 Marion County high schools have received grants through Advancing Academic Excellence.

Beech Grove City Schools (Beech Grove, IN) — A $20,000 grant to expand the number of students who participate in college-level curriculum programs at Beech Grove High School.

Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township (Indianapolis, IN) — A $20,000 grant to provide an equal opportunity for all Lawrence Central High School students to participate in college-level curriculum programs.

Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. (Indianapolis, IN) — A $10,000 grant to provide operating support for Indianapolis Downtown, Inc.

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 details on the Foundation, visit its Web site at www.luminafoundation.org.

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