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ACCESS to Launch National Expansion with Support from The Kresge Foundation

In response to the growing need for our effective college affordability services, ACCESS has received a $700,000 grant from The Kresge Foundation to launch the expansion of our college affordability programs to three new high need cities across the nation in the next two years. At a time when college costs are increasing and need based aid is decreasing, the importance of helping young people and families find an affordable path to – and through – higher education cannot be overstated. 

This support from the Kresge Foundation will serve as catalyst to secure additional funding and raise the growth capital necessary for the successful launch of programming in the expansion cities. The three-year grant from the Foundation is structured so that the first year will enable ACCESS to strengthen internal capacity to enact its national growth plan, while the second and third years will serve as a challenge grant to leverage local and national investment and spur continued growth.

“The Kresge Foundation is committed to increasing opportunities for underserved students to access and succeed in higher education. We believe that ACCESS provides a key service to schools and communities by helping students navigate the complexities of the financial aid and award process. Research tells us that a lack of financial support is the number one barrier to college access, and ACCESS is well-poised to address that challenge and expand its successful model into new cities,” said Caroline Altman Smith, Kresge’s Program Officer for Education.

ACCESS has always been committed to bringing its services to those that need it most. As such, it has identified three potential growth sites outside of Massachusetts – Miami, FL; Indianapolis, IN; and the Bay Area of California – based on the size of the low-income student population, program sustainability and potential impact that ACCESS would have on the community. Prior to this national, ACCESS has begun investing in the capacity of our National Headquarters to support such growth – including hiring a Director of Growth Initiatives, a Director of the Executive Office, a Special Projects Manager and increasing evaluation capabilities – while partnering with Root Cause to create site-specific growth models for each expansion city.

As a result of this work and meetings with local stakeholders in each potential city, ACCESS is proud to announce that it has identified Miami as our first expansion site and will launch programming in the fall of 2012!