News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 21, 2003

Eight organizations receive grants totaling nearly $500,000

INDIANAPOLIS - Lumina Foundation for Education today announced eight grants totaling $479,900 to support nationwide college-access programs for underserved students.

The grants were awarded as part of Lumina Foundation’s McCabe Fund, which supports organizations that enable students - particularly first-generation college students, low-income students and students of color - to broaden and make the most of their opportunities in 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. Grant proposals were requested from a select group of organizations from across the country. In 2003, the McCabe Fund will award grants totaling nearly $2 million.

“We’re optimistic that these grassroots initiatives supported by the McCabe Fund will help to reduce the nation’s college attainment gap,” said Martha D. Lamkin, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation. “McCabe Fund assistance supports organizations that help students achieve their potential by expanding access to a postsecondary education.”

The most recent McCabe Fund grant recipients are:

Calumet College of Saint Joseph (Whiting, IN): A $50,000 grant to provide pre-college awareness services to low-income, first-generation students through a summer bridge program.

Larkin Street Youth Services (San Francisco, CA): A $46,200 grant to enhance educational programs for 60 homeless, runaway and foster care youth with a new component to increase access to postsecondary education.

Lund Family Center, Inc. (Burlington, VT): A $47,200 grant to provide a high school college-preparatory curriculum and online college classes for pregnant teens and teen parents.

Marin Education Fund (San Rafael, CA): A $50,000 grant to increase higher education access for 50 low-income, first-generation students through mentoring and training.

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (Oklahoma City, OK): A $75,000 grant to provide pre-college access information to 15,000 Hispanic middle and high school students and their families through the federal GEAR UP program.

The Regents of the University of California (Irvine, CA): A $73,600 grant to expand existing pre-college access programs for Hispanic middle and high school students and their families.

Saint Louis University (St. Louis, MO): A $63,200 grant to form school-parent-student partnerships that create pre-college action plans for middle school students.

University of Wisconsin - Parkside (Kenosha, WI): A $74,700 grant to expand its pre-college program to include at-risk minority middle school students.

The grant program is named for Lumina Foundation’s founding chairman of the board, Edward A. 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.

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.