Source: West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission
West Virginia’s Higher Education Policy Commission (Commission) and Community and Technical College System (CTCS), together with Philanthropy West Virginia, today announced that Ascendium Education Group – one of the most active postsecondary education philanthropies in the country – has awarded the state $750,000 to support student success and accelerate degree completion. The West Virginia collaboration is part of Ascendium’s inaugural rural philanthropy grantees.
In line with West Virginia’s Climb initiative, which seeks to arm 60 percent of the state’s workforce with a postsecondary credential by 2030, the programming resulting from the Ascendium grant will provide tools and resources for rural students, first-generation students, and students from low-income backgrounds. To build on this investment, the state is collaborating with Philanthropy West Virginia and its member foundations and companies that are committed to meeting the state’s most urgent educational needs through collaborative grantmaking.
“Especially as college students are grappling with new challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to invest in their success,” said Sarah Armstrong Tucker, Interim Chancellor of the Commission and CTCS Chancellor. “For so many students, any number of hurdles can hinder their path to a degree. Through this philanthropic collaboration and the direct support it will provide, we’re clearing that path for students who are working hard to reach their dreams. I thank Ascendium for this remarkable investment in our students, and Philanthropy West Virginia for their strong partnership now and in the future.”
Read the full news release from the West Virginia Climbs initiative.