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EDUCATION PHILANTHROPY DIVISION OF ASCENDIUM EDUCATION GROUP

All Grants

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WTCS Student Success Center

Scaling
Jobs for the Future Inc|$1,350,000|3/2017 - 9/2020
This grant supports Jobs for the Future in creating a Wisconsin Student Success Center to bolster the Wisconsin Technical College System's scaling of student success initiatives across its campuses.

Piloting an Income Share Agreement that Serves Low-Income Students

Exploration
MDRC|$500,000|9/2019 - 9/2020
This grant supports MDRC in assessing the operational feasibility of an Income Share Agreement (ISA) structured to lead to stronger outcomes for students from low-income backgrounds. Education Finance Institute will raise private capital to fund ISAs for up to 200 students attending five to seven pilot colleges.

Text Steps Summer Melt Texting-Signal Vine, Inc. fees for Wisconsin school districts

Scaling
Signal Vine Inc|$46,920|8/2018 - 9/2020
This grant supports licensing and setup fees for the Signal Vine texting platform for the 13 school districts participating in the Text Steps project.

Early Leading Indicators of Student Success

Exploration
Research Foundation of the City University of New York|$477,584|4/2017 - 8/2020
This grant supports the Research Foundation of the City University of New York Graduate Center in developing a set of standardized early leading indicators that predict long-term student and labor market outcomes.

FAFSA Completion Challenge

Scaling
National College Attainment Network|$1,000,000|4/2018 - 8/2020
This grant supports the National College Access Network in helping 30 large cities with lower-than-average FAFSA completion rates implement plans to increase communitywide rates.

Arizona State University Local: California

Exploration
AZ Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University|$1,500,000|5/2019 - 7/2020
This grant supports Arizona State University in testing the feasibility of a model to provide underserved 18-24 year-old Californians with a clear and affordable path to a bachelor’s degree by combining the scalability of an online learning environment with local supports.

Improving Workforce Outcomes for Community College Students

Exploration
Social Finance|$180,000|2/2020 - 7/2020
This grant supports Social Finance in assessing strategies and approaches that workforce entities (including employers and workforce training providers) have used to establish successful partnerships with community colleges. The goals of this project are to identify effective strategies for developing employer partnerships that lead to long-term success for community college students, explore opportunities for sustainable and performance-based funding models for these partnerships and to highlight best practices and lessons for rural communities.

Development and Validation of a Compelling Income Share Agreement Program

Exploration
Partnership for Education Advancement|$50,000|1/2019 - 6/2020
This grant supports Education Finance Institute in designing and developing an income share agreement program that can best serve the broad needs of postsecondary students, including those attending four year institutions that focus on low income, first generation and disadvantaged populations and inter-generational mobility.

Ascendium-Sponsored Convening Fund

Scaling
Yes We Must Coalition|$95,000|1/2019 - 6/2020
This grant supports the Yes We Must Coalition in hosting a two-day convening in 2019 focused on employer engagement and building professional readiness into the student experience at their member institutions.

Creating Postsecondary Pathways for Thread Students

Exploration
Thread Inc|$277,000|7/2019 - 6/2020
This grants supports Thread in an effort to conduct a planning initiative to audit, strengthen, and codify their relationship-driven approach to supporting underserved young adults in five core postsecondary pathways: two-year degree completion, four-year degree completion, entrepreneurship, trade school/apprenticeships and straight-to-workforce.