News

New Grants Awarded, Pell Grant Ban for Incarcerated Learners Lifted and Several New Key Resources Published

• Ascendium Invests $16.2 Million in Degree Persistence, Health Pathways, Digital Career Growth
• Groundbreaking New National Directory of Higher Education in Prison Programs Released
• Additional Maintain Momentum Grants Benefit Organizations Serving Learners from Low-Income Backgrounds

Clearinghouse Report: Pandemic Hits Black, Hispanic Transfer Students Harder

The COVID-19 pandemic caused student transfers to drop sharply this fall, the largest drop being for Black and Hispanic students, according to the COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress Fall 2020 Final Report released by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

Ascendium Invests $16.2 Million in Degree Persistence, Health Pathways, Sustainable Digital Careers and More

Ascendium’s Board of Directors has approved funding for 19 new grants totaling more than $16.2 million. This includes a wide range of efforts aimed at improving education and career outcomes for postsecondary learners from low-income backgrounds, especially first-generation learners, veterans, incarcerated learners, rural community members and learners of color.

Colleges See Steep Decline In Student Transfers During Pandemic

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s second COVID-19 Transfer, Mobility, and Progress Report reveals a steep decline in student transfer and mobility this fall.

New Postsecondary Education in Prison Resources, Welcome Bethany Miller and Our 2020 Support of Our Community

• Best Practices for Postsecondary Education in Prison Programs Released by Vera Institute of Justice
• COVID-19 Crisis and Transfer: What Institutions, Systems and States Can Do Today
• Bethany Miller Joins the Education Grantmaking Team

COVID-19 Crisis and Transfer: What Institutions, Systems and States Can Do Today

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased attention given to transfer students and further exposed weaknesses within the college transfer system. With the current crisis, we support the need to build urgency around stronger and better transfer pathways and issue a call to action to institutions, systems and states for accelerating the development of these pathways. Ascendium-funded briefs recently produced by the Aspen Institute provide recommendations that can be implemented today to improve outcomes for transfer students, both in the short- and long-term.

Training for Online Math Teaching, a New Rural Podcast Series and New Resources

• College Math Instructors Praise Timely Training for Online Teaching
• Vera Institute of Justice Works to Develop Guidelines and Supports for Postsecondary Education in Prison
• Podcasts Raise Up Leaders in Rural Places

Grant Explores How to Take Competency-Based Education to a System Level

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System Foundation is launching a yearlong planning project to research what it would take to implement a competency-based education platform at scale within its general education, career, technical and workforce training programs. Ascendium’s investment of $614,000 supports the project under our grantmaking focus area Streamline Key Learner Transitions.

“First Look” NSC Report Shows COVID-19 Impact on Student Transfer Muted

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s “First Look” report on the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on transfer students shows transfers from two to four-year colleges are up slightly, but an expected transfer pattern from four-year to two-year institutions has not materialized. The pandemic’s greater impact appears to be first-time and returning students deciding not to enroll this fall.

Why Equity in Transfer and Why Now?

Data clearly show equity gaps in student transfer rates. This fact, coupled with the national spotlight on systemic racism, has prompted the launch of the Equity Transfer Initiative, a two-year project funded by Ascendium Education Group and ECMC Foundation. The overall goal of the project is to ensure total alignment of at least five programs between two- and four-year institutions that lead to employment.