Awarded Grants

This grant supports Three Frame Media in producing a short film as part of a series focused on the experiences of student parents in postsecondary education. The series will unpack the challenges faced by student parents, who are also often low-income and students of color, and highlight programs and policies that support their success.

This grant supports Research Triangle Institute in providing current and historical statistics defining low-income individuals and describing their demographic characteristics, postsecondary progress and success and labor force outcomes.

This grant supports the University of Washington in implementing a statewide consortium of institutional partnerships to increase successful transfer for low-income learners in STEM programs. Relying on the evidence-based framework for transfer partnerships developed by the institution's Community College Research Initiatives, this project endeavors to institutionalize collaborative partnerships at the departmental level, leading to long-term structural improvements in transfer policy and practice.

This grant supports the NCII Impact Fund, a project of the New Venture Fund, in developing and delivering a regionalized approach to guided pathways focused on rural institutions. This three year support model would be a first-of-its-kind approach to guided pathways implementation that includes community colleges, as well as workforce, employer, K12 and university partners as core members of the implementation team.

This grant supports the National College Attainment Network in launching a national media campaign to encourage students and families to complete the FAFSA following delayed implementation of the revised application for the 2024-25 academic year. The campaign aims to encourage an additional 300,000 students to complete the FAFSA by August 31.

This grant supports Complete College America in building capacity for networks of institutions to implement equity-centered completion policies and practices.

This grant supports Digital Promise Global in exploring the impact of a state‐funded training and wage‐based incentive program (Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee) designed to create living‐wage career paths for early childhood educators in rural communities.

This grant supports the College Promise Campaign (CPC) in providing professional development and technical assistance to new and existing Promise programs by hosting regional workshops and its fourth annual College Promise Careers Institute. CPC will also expand work focused on developing career pathways for Promise students in high-growth labor market segments.

This grant supports the Second Chance Educational Alliance in evaluating the initiative and synthesizing lessons learned across participating sites.

This grant supports Academic Intelligence in producing the Future U. podcast series, which features interviews with national thought leaders and innovators working to improve student success in postsecondary education. Future U. will produce four episodes that specifically explore issues related to and insights generated from Ascendium’s grantmaking.