Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Announced $500.5K Grant, Supports Withdrawn to Re-enroll

The Kresge Foundation raises fund to help stopped out complete their degree

Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community announced that The Kresge Foundation has awarded a sum of $500.5K planning grant to develop a pilot program plan to facilitate college completion for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The grant will focus on those HBCU students who withdraw from college for a variety of personal, familial, or financial reasons with two semesters or less remaining but are planning to re-enroll at a later date to complete their degree.

Achievements and contributions toward nation-building

• Publicly-supported HBCUs enroll over 80% of all students attending HBCUs.
• Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space.
• TMCF distributes 98% of its awards exclusively to HBCUs and PBIs, which is more than any other organization that supports the Black College Community.
• The organization (TMCF) is also a source for top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.
• TMCF has achieved the highest level of accreditation from two major non-profit review groups: Charity Navigator (4-Stars) and Guide Star (Platinum Level Participant).

Harry L. Williams, TMCF president & CEO said “This Kresge Foundation grant is an important first step in building a pathway to completion for students who stopped out of their college education before earning a degree.” “Planned correctly, our pilot program can be the model for all HBCUs, providing opportunities for these former students to reap the rewards of graduating from college, including increased market value and economically sustainable careers” he added. Additionally, Washington based TMCF will lead the planning of the new pilot program in conjunction with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), who will serve as the online provider.  SNHU is well equipped for this program with over 90,000 online students and over 200 academic program offerings. Other partners include TMCF member-school, Delaware State University (DSU), and Tyton Partners, an educational consulting firm specializing in education, information, and media markets. Bill Moses, managing director of the Kresge Foundation’s education program said “Kresge is proud to support two innovation leaders, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Southern New Hampshire University, as they work to identify well-tailored strategies that can serve as a blueprint to help more students who attend HBCUs reach the degree-completion finish line.”