No one should be denied an education due to lack of money. Yet every year about 12,500 lower-income high school graduates with outstanding academic credentials do not attend a college with a high graduation rate because of financial barriers, according to information from the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ American Talent Initiative. But a $1.7 million, multi-year grant will change this!
Grant funding really makes a difference
The grant comes from Bloomberg Philanthropies who is supporting The American Talent Initiative, a program to send 50,000 low-income students to some of the best schools in the country. This is a dream come true for many very bright and talented low-income students whose only barrier to going to college is not grades but money. The $1.7 million grant funding will enable these students to attend one of 270 different universities that have the highest graduation rates in the nation.
Coming together to make a difference
Yale University, Princeton University, and Duke are three of the 30 schools participating in the project. Duke also has a scholarship program for first-generation students and has partnered with nonprofit QuestBridge to assist low-income students in getting scholarships. Other colleges have initiated similar programs.
The American Talent Initiative is committed to recruiting students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, creating a more level playing field by reducing gaps in graduation rates among students from low, moderate and high-income families. The initiative, involving 30 participating schools, promises to increase education opportunities for talented students regardless of their family’s circumstances.
For more details about the American Talent Iniative, visit www.americantalentinitiative.org
