ACE Receives Grant from Lumina Foundation to Focus on
Issues Affecting Low-Income Adults
Washington, D.C. (December 2,
2002)—The American Council on Education (ACE) will embark
on a three-year, multi-faceted project to examine the academic success
and struggle of low-income adults in higher education with the support
of a $1 million grant from Lumina Foundation for Education.
The initiative, Improving Lives: Ensuring
the Academic Success of Low-Income Adults, will kickoff in March
2003. The project’s objectives are: to make the case to
institutional leaders and policy-makers that low-income adults are a
vitally important part of the college student population; to communicate
proven policies and programs that will help low-income adults meet their
educational goals; to identify existing institutional and public policy
barriers that impede their academic success; and to prompt action among
leaders to improve the academic success of low-income adults.
“We are extremely pleased to receive such generous
support from Lumina Foundation for this very important
initiative,” stated ACE President David Ward. “This project
will address two key areas of focus outlined in ACE’s newly
released strategic plan: academic success and lifelong learning. We are
committed to programs that foster greater diversity among higher
education leaders, faculty and students, and that support postsecondary
educational opportunities and favorable outcomes for
all.”
The latest data from the Department of Education demonstrate
the need for such a project. Almost 40 percent of undergraduates are age
25 or older. Of these students, approximately 2.5 million have incomes
below $25,000.
“Low-income adult learners represent a significant part
of the student population,” said Martha D. Lamkin, Lumina
Foundation’s president and CEO. “We are delighted to support
ACE in this national effort to help more of these students succeed in
postsecondary education.”
ACE’s Center for Policy Analysis will oversee the Lumina
project under the guidance of Jacqueline King, the center’s
director.
“While many campuses have successfully recruited
low-income adults, institutions still struggle to identify the mix of
policies and programs that will help more of these individuals meet
their educational goals,” stated King. “This grant will
enable ACE to address this often overlooked student
population.”
As part of the three-year effort, ACE will first issue a baseline report
to frame the needs of low-income students. The council will also conduct
a national audit of state and federal policies affecting low-income
students, perform a national survey of institutions to determine the
policies and programs currently in place that affect low-income
students, and hold regional meetings with teams of state policy-makers
and institution leaders to develop action plans to address the needs of
low-income adult students.
Lumina Foundation for Education, a private, independent
foundation based in Indianapolis, 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 educational success—particularly among
underserved student groups, including adult learners.
With more than 1,800 member institutions, the American Council
on Education is the major coordinating body for higher education in the
United States. It seeks to provide leadership and a unifying voice on
key higher education issues and influence public policy through
advocacy, research, and program initiatives.
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